Bird Box Barcelona film review — Spanish spin-off is a very Catholic nightmare

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Suspense-driven drama Bird Box Barcelona is less a sequel than a spin-off of the 2018 Netflix hit Bird Box. The original had Sandra Bullock stumbling blindfolded with two small children through a ravaged world where opening their eyes outside caused most people to take their own lives immediately. Triggering this impulse were mysterious entities, never seen by the viewer and never explained in the story.

Now the same phenomenon is afflicting Barcelona, where engineer Sebastián (Mario Casas) is traversing the city with his 11-year-old daughter Anna (Alejandra Howard). It feels initially like a retread of the post-apocalyptic territory of the first film before the arrival of a hefty twist, which it would be a sin to reveal.

Co-written and directed by Spanish brothers David and Àlex Pastor, Bird Box Barcelona still won’t tell us why the monstrous creatures are trying to make everyone on earth kill themselves. But the Pastors put a very Catholic spin on the material, with much muttering about angels and demons. Crazed inquisitor-like priests and their acolytes stalk the streets trying to force survivors to look upon the soul-destroying beings.

The crocodiles of blindfolded survivors, who navigate the city’s ruins with fragile bits of string holding them together, evoke medieval penitents searching for sanctuaries that are seldom secure. The result is a spin-off that’s not as moving as the original, which was boosted by Bullock and had novelty on its side — but it’s still as creepy as hell.

★★★☆☆

On Netflix from July 14