Two Birds is a ''short'' short film and it has a very simple concept but it also makes you question things. So we have Flynn who has a relationship with her girlfriend Eve. At some point we see a bird hitting Flynn's window and it seens like the bird dies. Many people see this thing as bad luck meaning that something bad is going to happen in their lives. In Flynn's case something bad does happen. Flynn goes to her basement to find Eve chained and with her mouth sewn shut. Flynn finds that to be very confusing because she was talking to Eve minutes ago. Well... that was not the real Eve. Soon we get to see a creature which looks like a combination of a bird and a woman entering the basement where both Flynn and the real Eve are. Everything goes dark and after that we get a classic jumpscare with the creature. So my conclusion is that while the concept was simple it was very effective and well done. There was mystery, suspense, good performances and a decent plot that will make you have your own theory about what's really going on while also giving some needed answers. My rating is 7.5/10.
3 Reviews
One Stone
jegd-847-6314079 August 2017
Warning: Spoilers
I don't usually review short films. But I'm getting really tired of something; Whenever I see Gizmodo promoting anything I usually discover it's for friends, by friends, or an actual writer for that gossip website. As a lover of horror films, 'Two Birds' offered me 6 minutes to see something new. But any suggestions from Gizmodo will always be advertisements disguised as articles.
First of all the acting was bad. Go to Avital Ash's profile page and look at her photo. I'll wait. - http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2097375/ - The face she's making in that photo is the face she's making through the entire short! As her character Flynn couldn't seem to muster a frown, let alone a fearful look in her eyes.
To be fair ... Sometimes it isn't the actor's fault. It's the error of the director. Any experienced director can extract a performance out a wannabe actor. I've seen it a thousand times; Someone with zero acting experience steps in front of a camera and the director tells them exactly how to behave. So maybe, just maybe Director Brendan Beachman didn't offer the direction she needed.
The most interesting element about Flynn is the weird marks on her arm. We don't know what those are about, but it's given enough camera time to make you wonder. There's also the quick moment of Flynn bending an ear to the air trying to hear something the audience can't quite make out.
When I hear a noise in my own home, the first thing that crosses my mind is "the cat" and I go about my day. Who are these people that are puzzled by small sounds in their own home?
"Oh. A small noise. I shall investigate.", says the obvious victim.
There was one jump-scare. When MTV regular Sarah Greyson's character Eve (sister, lover, maybe friend - we don't know) pops up behind Flynn as she washes a dish in the sink. I honestly can't recall a single word they said to one another before Eve walks away. I was too busy remembering how I have that exact plate.
An atmosphere of suspense can be built around one look from an actor or one instance of oddity. 'Two Birds' tried to create that atmosphere around two birds that strike the window in front of Flynn. It's a nice touch to have her go outside and dispose of the dead animals. It was easy to guess that those two birds were a metaphor for Flynn & Eve. Then the camera shows a door opening slowly and of course Flynn must investigate.
The weirdness in the cellar was pretty good. Eve was crouched on the floor, facing the wall, in silence and not moving as Flynn approached. I first imagined that Eve was on the floor looking at yet another dead bird, and she just can't seem to pick it up. Right before Flynn touches Eve, we hear another Eve calling to her from the entrance to the cellar. Avital Ash again gives no reaction to this. The chained Even reaches out to Flynn with her mouth sewn shut and in tears, yet Avital Ash doesn't even flinch. A creature is pretending to be Eve and Flynn is apparently suffering mild autism.
Nea Dune plays the creature, which we're shown as a scary silhouette. That shadow standing there did more for this short than anything else could have done.
Brendan Beachman should have left us wondering which Eve is which. Having the real Eve chained in her own cellar, for who knows how long, just makes this tale dumber. Think for a second about how much noise you would try to make if you were trapped downstairs (in your own house) knowing full well someone was upstairs.
The director then felt it necessary to push forward in complete darkness. I'm assuming he wanted to stretch an extra minute out of this fiasco to give the audience a real ending. All it did was make him look incompetent; There was an open door and there was windows. Why complete darkness?
We next get a better look at the creature through the flame on a cigarette lighter and it's just Nea Dune with white makeup ... BOO ... THE END ... The less is better notion comes to mind here. The shadow worked so well, I didn't see any reason to show a creature when you obviously lack the budget to produce a frightening one.
Overall bits of this feature are salvageable. I spared it the one star rating because a few simple changes would create a solid plot. Save some money by hiring the first kid off the street that can do an "I'm scared!" impression.
First of all the acting was bad. Go to Avital Ash's profile page and look at her photo. I'll wait. - http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2097375/ - The face she's making in that photo is the face she's making through the entire short! As her character Flynn couldn't seem to muster a frown, let alone a fearful look in her eyes.
To be fair ... Sometimes it isn't the actor's fault. It's the error of the director. Any experienced director can extract a performance out a wannabe actor. I've seen it a thousand times; Someone with zero acting experience steps in front of a camera and the director tells them exactly how to behave. So maybe, just maybe Director Brendan Beachman didn't offer the direction she needed.
The most interesting element about Flynn is the weird marks on her arm. We don't know what those are about, but it's given enough camera time to make you wonder. There's also the quick moment of Flynn bending an ear to the air trying to hear something the audience can't quite make out.
When I hear a noise in my own home, the first thing that crosses my mind is "the cat" and I go about my day. Who are these people that are puzzled by small sounds in their own home?
"Oh. A small noise. I shall investigate.", says the obvious victim.
There was one jump-scare. When MTV regular Sarah Greyson's character Eve (sister, lover, maybe friend - we don't know) pops up behind Flynn as she washes a dish in the sink. I honestly can't recall a single word they said to one another before Eve walks away. I was too busy remembering how I have that exact plate.
An atmosphere of suspense can be built around one look from an actor or one instance of oddity. 'Two Birds' tried to create that atmosphere around two birds that strike the window in front of Flynn. It's a nice touch to have her go outside and dispose of the dead animals. It was easy to guess that those two birds were a metaphor for Flynn & Eve. Then the camera shows a door opening slowly and of course Flynn must investigate.
The weirdness in the cellar was pretty good. Eve was crouched on the floor, facing the wall, in silence and not moving as Flynn approached. I first imagined that Eve was on the floor looking at yet another dead bird, and she just can't seem to pick it up. Right before Flynn touches Eve, we hear another Eve calling to her from the entrance to the cellar. Avital Ash again gives no reaction to this. The chained Even reaches out to Flynn with her mouth sewn shut and in tears, yet Avital Ash doesn't even flinch. A creature is pretending to be Eve and Flynn is apparently suffering mild autism.
Nea Dune plays the creature, which we're shown as a scary silhouette. That shadow standing there did more for this short than anything else could have done.
Brendan Beachman should have left us wondering which Eve is which. Having the real Eve chained in her own cellar, for who knows how long, just makes this tale dumber. Think for a second about how much noise you would try to make if you were trapped downstairs (in your own house) knowing full well someone was upstairs.
The director then felt it necessary to push forward in complete darkness. I'm assuming he wanted to stretch an extra minute out of this fiasco to give the audience a real ending. All it did was make him look incompetent; There was an open door and there was windows. Why complete darkness?
We next get a better look at the creature through the flame on a cigarette lighter and it's just Nea Dune with white makeup ... BOO ... THE END ... The less is better notion comes to mind here. The shadow worked so well, I didn't see any reason to show a creature when you obviously lack the budget to produce a frightening one.
Overall bits of this feature are salvageable. I spared it the one star rating because a few simple changes would create a solid plot. Save some money by hiring the first kid off the street that can do an "I'm scared!" impression.
two birds and a window
Kirpianuscus28 November 2018
Two birds strike a window. That is all who I remember about this film who seems too ambiguous, full of good intentions, proposing clues but not using them, having all pieces for decent horror but not knowing use them. Tho birds, a window and a woman looking to move them from the yard. And that is all. Because the acting is far to be the best point, the thrill is fake and the story of , maybe, two sisters, parts of a game of appearences represents a childish sketch.
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