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Cast: Rebecca Calder, James Fleet, Jay Taylor, Sacharissa Claxton
Genre: Thriller
Rating: Cert: 18
Disgruntled hermit Reed lives a solitary life in the desert. After chasing away a group of youths trying to party near his home, Reed’s peaceful life is violently upheaved when a goup of savage cultists lay siege to his house.
Sybil Chamberlain is a quiet, creative soul. Her hobbies are taxidermy and poetry. She works in a funeral parlor with the deceased. She likes dead people. They understand her.
At just ten years old, she experienced trauma in a tragic accident which took away the family she adored. Now, an aching loneliness prevails in a void which she seeks to fill. But poetry and a vivid imagination provide an escape from the harsh realities of a lonely life.
Reality and reason are slipping away from Sybil and her ‘dark desires’ become more and more insatiable. Her fascination with the dead takes a dark and strange twist. And in a horrific climax of gothic proportions, she finds her own kind of happiness and contentment with the people she keeps as company - dead people.
At 10 years old Sybil was involved in a car crash with her family. She was the only one to survive and as she grew up, she became interested in all things dead, so she took up taxidermy and worked at several funeral homes. She also began to fantasize, and the blurred lines between what is real and what isn't quickly caused a problem for her.
'Broken Bird' is a quirky thriller that may have you laughing at times, but for me it was more of a disturbing piece of cinema that gets in your head and under your skin and in your head very quickly, and it remains that way until the fatal ending.
As always, I stayed away from other reviews of the film because I wanted to jump in, not knowing much more than the basic synopsis. The film has two stories running along side one another, Sybil's being one and the story of a woman's dead child who disappeared from a funeral home, which the police are actively investigating. The two stories run flawlessly together until later in the film, when secrets are revealed.
Director, Joanne Mitchell does a great job keeping the film moving and engaging while adding plenty of atmosphere, creepiness, and plenty of disturbing moments. She wrote the script with Dominic Brunt and Tracey Sheals, I film is also based on the award winning short film of the same name.
'Broken Bird' is a unique film that is made even better by its cast, including, Rebecca Calder who shines in the role as Sybil. Other standout performances came from James Fleet and Jelena Moore. In fact, the entire cast was fantastic in the film. The film may not be for everyone, but I highly recommend it to fans of thrillers or Indie films in general when in UK Cinemas on August 30th . A well made film that sticks with you long after it is over.
Released by Catalyst Studios
*** 3/4 Out Of *****