From Jeff Nelson

The tense, yet flawed Bird Box thrives on its suspenseful set pieces and an absorbing performance from Sandra Bullock. David and Àlex Pastor’s spin-off, Bird Box Barcelona, brings the invisible entities to international soil with a promising premise that falls short in both its tension and its dramatic stakes.

The world’s population is at a new low after unknown, invisible creatures appeared, causing all life that looks upon them to commit suicide. Resourceful humans started wearing blindfolds and goggles to obscure their sight from ever accidentally laying eyes on them, frequently dividing into groups to help one another stay alive. However, there is a wicked group of people who believe the entities to be angels and commit their lives to force other humans to meet their fatal fate in the name of the greater good.

Sebastián (Mario Casas) stands at the center of the story, determined to do right by his young daughter (Alejandra Howard) in this post-apocalyptic setting. The Pastors’ screenplay takes us to Barcelona, Spain, but it continues to hold the root concept of grief at its core, as depicted by an adult with young children in tow. Bird Box Barcelona introduces a heavier dose of religion in this universe, further interrogating the purpose of these invisible creatures and humanity’s fight for survival.

The creatures remain an ever-looming threat throughout this spin-off, but humanity proves to be its own greatest enemy. Their demented goals are intimidating, providing greater depth into some of the ideas originally introduced in its predecessor. The resulting carnage largely takes place off-screen, but it remains fairly brutal.

Unfortunately, Sebastián is a far cry from Bullock’s Malorie in the 2018 original. He has a very different part to play, but he drastically lacks the previous protagonist’s emotional stakes. Sebastián finds his way into a group with their own system, all of whom are barely written into existence with one-note motivations.

Bird Box Barcelona drew a notable cast into its spotlight, even though the material falls short of their potential. Barbarian’s Georgina Campbell, Babylon’s Diego Calva, and Pain and Glory’s Leonardo Sbaraglia are some of the familiar faces that give a boost of authenticity to their roles, regardless of their respective screen time and depth.

The majority of the spin-off takes place in the streets of Barcelona, as the protagonists seek for any hope of a future beyond their doomed circumstances. The film occasionally put the audience in the creatures’ perspective, allowing us to see their victims before they fall to their fate. However, distractingly poor CGI frequently clouds the film during pivotal moments, immediately yanking suspense from the scene.

Bird Box Barcelona lacks Bullock’s plucky central performance and much of the tension that came with it. There’s a compelling direction buried underneath the silly premised spin-off, but the emotional impact is practically non-existent, draining the thrills out of this apocalyptic landscape.

Rating: 2.5/5

Bird Box Barcelona hits Netflix on July 14th, 2023.

Follow Jeff at @SirJeffNelson