Birdeater – Movie Review (4/5)

BIRDEATER is an unnerving Australian Psychological Thriller about the dark side of relationships. This story takes gaslighting to a whole new and absolutely terrifying level. Read our full Birdeater movie review here!

BIRDEATER is a psychological thriller from Australia that may be slow-burn, but it’s also extremely dark and hits hard. The small cast delivers wonderful portrayals of characters that many of us will probably recognize to some extent.

With an official runtime of 1 hour and 55 minutes, it may sound long, but it evolves in such extreme ways that it couldn’t have been done in a much shorter time. It simply would not have worked as well. And this movie does work very well – in the most scary ways.

Continue reading our Birdeater movie review below. It opens in select theaters and will be on digital platforms from January 10, 2025.

Unnerving and relentless

The two words that best describe Birdeater, in my experience, are unnerving and relentless. Even if you’re not sure what’s going on at first, you quickly pick up on the very toxic relationship between the two main characters about to get married.

So, when the bride-to-be is invited to her own friancé’s bachelor party, it doesn’t feel like a good (or even safe) thing to do. Still, that’s what happens and it will expose the elements of their relationship that are indeed extremely toxic.

In fact, his treatment of her is on the verge of being illegal. Or it would be if she wasn’t already so deep under his spell that she’s convinced he only has her best interests at heart.

Spoiler (not really, it’s the core of the plot), he does not have her best interest at heart. Only his own.

A study in gaslighting

Fairly early on in Birdeater, it’s obvious that Irene (the bride) is being controlled by Louie (the groom), but she doesn’t see it that way. In fact, she sees him as her savior which is absolutely crazy when we see flashbacks of their relationship later in the movie.

It will come out that the groom-to-be is gaslighting his future wife in ways that are downright scary. Even his own mates are thrown by what comes out – though their reactions leave something to be desired.

Grace is the only other girl who is also invited to the bachelor party—because she’s in a relationship with a close friend of Louie—and she is livid when the truth comes out.

The nature of the soon-to-be-married couple’s relationship is perfect for a study in gaslighting because he has convinced her of his worldview. To the point that she has willingly (or so she believes) relinquished her autonomy in just about every way imaginable.

Watch Birdeater however you can!

This Australian psychological thriller is officially from 2023 (it premiered at Sydney Film Festival in June 2023), so it’s been a long time coming to wider release. However, it’s been at film festivals all over the world. It was at SXSW in March 2024.

The extremely dark but visually stunning thriller comes from the Australian directing duo Jack Clark and Jim Weir with the screenplay also written by Jack Clark (with a story by them both).

Let this be yet another amazing proof that men can write nuanced male and female characters. Well, okay, not all men, but Jack Clark sure can in this screenplay.

Also, I haven’t mentioned any of the actors in Birdeater, but they are all amazing. Often in scary ways.

Especially Mackenzie Fearnley as Louie and Shabana Azeez as Irene. But the rest of the bachelor party crew (Ben Hunter, Jack Bannister, Clementine Anderson, Alfie Gledhill, and Harley Wilson) make this entire story come alive in the best – and darkest – ways.

Birdeater is opening In Theaters and on Digital Platforms on January 10, 2025.

Details

Directors: Jack Clark, Jim Weir
Script: Jack Clark
Cast: Mackenzie Fearnley, Shabana Azeez, Ben Hunter, Jack Bannister, Clementine Anderson, Alfie Gledhill, Harley Wilson, Caroline McQuade