Birdeater, 2023.
Directed by Jack Clark and Jim Weir.
Starring Mackenzie Fearnley, Shabana Azeez, Ben Hunter, Jack Bannister, Clementine Anderson, Alfie Gledhill, Harley Wilson, Caroline McQuade, and Will Rodriguez.
SYNOPSIS:
A bride-to-be is invited to her fiancé’s bachelor party, but when uncomfortable details of their relationship are exposed, the night takes a feral turn.
Having premiered back in 2023 at Australian film festivals and also playing SXSW in 2024, it’s safe to assume that a considerable amount has already been written regarding filmmaking duo Jack Clark and Jim Weir’s Birdeater functioning as a savage takedown of boys-will-be-boys rhetoric. As intoxicated friends attending a buck (Australian terminology for a bachelor party) at a cabin in the Outback increasingly become aware of the true sinister dynamic between engaged couple Louis (a convincingly two-faced and insidious Mackenzie Fearnley) and Irene (a codependent, vulnerable, foggy-minded Shabana Azeez), most of them also start denying that the situation is as it appears while posing (translation: lying to themselves) that their friend isn’t capable of such monstrous behavior.
One of these friends goes as far as twisting progressive ideals, suggesting that maybe it’s regressive to question and pry since Irene is technically consenting to unsavory, morally objectionable relationship dynamics. In a film that is strikingly shot using the Outback as an expansive, moody presence for secrets to be revealed in darkness away from civilization, that image and line delivery sticks; an inconsolable freaked-out man who would instead twist and turn a topic such as a woman’s choice upside down to absolve himself of any guilt regarding what a longtime friend is coercing unto his partner. It also helps that the filmmakers take the time to portray these guests, such as a married Christian virgin with philosophies about relationships and sex that are challenged by another guest, a sexually active free spirit one at that, as real people.
Jack Clark and Jim Weir’s creative choice to give equal screen time to disturbed rationalizations from a friend group provides an extra unsettling kick. Perhaps unsurprisingly, alcohol and ketamine are in the mix and fuel this friendship breakdown, which also brings forth enough dysfunction for more unsavory secrets to crop up. At one point, a campfire game of Paranoia comes into play to further stoke the flames. When that happens, tensions have boiled over to the degree that elements of surrealism arrive mixed in with unnerving flashbacks (subversively not the one viewers might expect) to reveal the entire picture. The confidence in which these filmmakers blend the two with an oppressive atmosphere and quietly dangerous anxiety is similarly impressive.
While it would be a stretch to say any of these men are upstanding individuals, it’s also noteworthy that the most immature of the bunch in Ben Hunter’s brash Dylan has some moral decency. Nevertheless, he has grievances and is devilishly fun to watch as his mindset gradually transitions into one more focused on revenge and inviting chaos, namely with the previously mentioned game of Paranoia. The rest of the guests aren’t quite as defined and come across as forgettable, but the night itself is certainly eventful, sparking a discussion of accountability and complicity.
Aspects of Birdeater are also remarkably sloppy for a film that is otherwise so compelling and confidently crafted. There is a rambling nature to the screenplay, with several scenes in the first half not only taking longer than necessary to convey the relevant point but also oddly repeating lines and phrases within the same scene. At first, one wonders if it’s a quirky intended future woven into the uncertainty and mystery. Inevitably, one realizes it’s amateurish, messy writing that could have been reworked. There is also the sensation that Jack Clark and Jim Weir aren’t sure about where to take the film once the seedy truth is revealed, ending with a dissatisfying payoff.
On the other hand, one also applauds Jack Clark and Jim Weir for not spilling over into exploitative genre territory with Birdeater. These are clearly talented filmmakers with vision and promise; keep a bird’s eye view of them awaiting whatever is next.
Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★
Robert Kojder is a member of the Chicago Film Critics Association, Critics Choice Association, and Online Film Critics Society. He is also the Flickering Myth Reviews Editor. Check here for new reviews and follow my BlueSky or Letterboxd
