BROKEN BIRD

****

Directed by Joanne Mitchell

Starring Rebecca Calder, Sacharissa Claxton, Rupert Procter,  Jay Taylor, James Fleet

Horror, UK/Serbia, 98 minutes, Cert 18

Reviewed as part of Pigeon Shrine FrightFest 2024

Although he is probably best known to the general public as Paddy Kirk in EMMERDALE, Dominic Brunt is also an accomplished horror filmmaker who has directed an assortment of popular horror films. Fans of the horror genre will no doubt be familiar with Brunt’s earlier work, as his previous films include BEFORE DAWN, BAIT, ATTACK OF THE ADULT BABIES, and WOLF MANOR. Brunt also wrote the screenplay for this year’s BROKEN BIRD, which serves as an adaptation of a 2018 short film called SYBIL. Both SYBIL and BROKEN BIRD were directed by Brunt's wife, Joanne Mitchell, who is also clearly a massive horror enthusiast. And Mitchell certainly did an excellent job of bringing her husband’s nightmarish script for BROKEN BIRD to life.

Rebecca Calder stars as Sybil, a lonely and desolate young woman who accepts a job as an assistant in a funeral home. It soon becomes clear that Sybil is not mentally well, which is exemplified by the hallucinations she regularly experiences. Her hallucinations soon become so vivid that Sybil begins to carry out actions which cause harm to others. Calder is clearly an immensely gifted actress, and she delivered a stunning performance as a woman who struggles to keep her darkest desires at bay. As the film progresses, Sybil gradually becomes increasingly unhinged, and Calder captures her character’s deteriorating mental state with an unprecedented level of vivid sincerity.

Sacharissa Claxton also appears as Emma, a police officer whose son recently disappeared. Emma has clearly been emotionally destroyed, and Claxton brilliantly conveys the sadness and desperation which mothers will clearly feel in this situation. Although the chances of finding her son alive seem minimal, Emma refuses to accept that he is dead. Most of us have experienced desperate situations where we refused to let go of the fading hope we felt, and Claxton’s emotionally jarring performance will no doubt resonate with many viewers for this reason.

In addition to Calder and Claxton, the other cast members in BROKEN BIRD all delivered strong performances. Rupert Procter appears as a police colleague of Emma’s named Miller, who unwillingly needs to reprimand her whenever she acts irrationally. Procter brilliantly depicts both Miller’s compassion towards Emma and the firmness the character displayed towards her, making Miller into a believably responsible figure of authority. Jay Taylor also stars as Mark, a museum staff member who becomes the unwanted object of Sybil’s affections, with the actor expertly depicting Mark’s awkward reactions to the unwarranted displays of passion from Sybil. And James Fleet plays Mr. Thomas, the recently widowed owner of the funeral home where Sybil works. Fleet perfectly captured both the persistent despair which Mr. Thomas feels, making this a character whose internal complications are almost palpable.

However, the slow pace of BROKEN BIRD might be off-putting to some viewers, as it certainly takes a long time for the plot to unfold. At times, it was also unclear to viewers if certain events depicted in the film were actually taking place or if they were figments of Sybil’s imagination. As a result, you will need to pay particularly close attention when you watch BROKEN BIRD. But the level of gore on display will be satisfying for horror fans, with the sight of the severely mutilated corpse of a man who was killed in a traffic collision being a major highlight.

Although the story takes place in modern times, the funeral home which serves as the primary setting looks like it could easily have been lifted from another era. This gave the film an almost disturbingly timeless quality, and just watching the characters walking through the building's rooms and halls will leave you feeling unsettled. Needless to say, the crew really did make the most of the Serbian filming locations. And the haunting score by Emily Rice will linger in your mind for a long time after the end credits finish rolling across the screen.

BROKEN BIRD proved to be a highly unsettling tale of one woman’s gradual descent into madness, making it a truly haunting film which dares to venture into the darkest recesses of the human mind. Regardless of its slow pace, it now seems clear that BROKEN BIRD will be remembered as one of the best psychological horror films of the year. Anyone with a particular fondness for psychological horror films which relentlessly leave their viewers feeling deeply unsettled will appreciate everything that BROKEN BIRD has to offer.

David Gelmini