Songbird is an American science fiction pandemic thriller film directed by Adam Mason. It stars KJ Apa, Sofia Carson, Alexandra Daddario, Demi Moore, Bradley Whitford, Craig Robinson, Paul Walter Hauser, Lia McHugh, and Peter Stormare in main roles. It was released on 11th December 2020 on Video On Demand.
Set in the future, 2024, the coronavirus has evolved into COVID-23, and the whole world is in lockdown and follows a strict rule of not going out as the virus has now mutated and is now airborne. Quarantine camps have been set-up which is called 'Q-zones' and the infected person is taken from their homes by the men wearing yellow hazmat suits working for the Department of Sanitation. This is how the world is operating and tackling the virus.
Now the story. Nico (KJ Apa), immune to the virus, works as a delivery boy and is in a relationship with Sara Garcia (Sofia Carson) who lives with her old mother Lita.
Nico works for Lester (Craig Robinson) and they have one big client, the Griffin family. Then there's May (Alexandra Daddario) a singer who is stuck in the city, forms a bond with a war veteran Michael Dozer (Paul Walter Hauser). One day, Lita starts to show the symptoms of the virus and every morning they had to do a temperature check in which Sara passes but Lita doesn't and that's when the department gets to know where the infected person is. Nico, who is allowed to walk outside freely, has to arrange two immunity wristbands to prevent his love Sara and her mother to be taken by the Department of Sanitation run by Emmett Harland (Peter Stormare).
Adam Mason and Simon Boyes have penned the story and screenplay. I was waiting for this film since when the first teaser came out and also because of KJ Apa and Sofia Carson. The scenes between them are charming and the unusual bond between May and Dozer is effective. But other than that everything here is just shallow and sketchy.
None of the characters are developed and that's the major mistake, as that's the most crucial thing for any movie, and for any pandemic movie it is a must. The effective catastrophic film was Greenland, where the characters are fleshed out so beautifully that when they get separated, it crushes your heart. Here nothing happens. You just have to blandly sit for 1 hour 24 minutes to witness what you can predict for miles away.
The film's best thing is that it raises the curiosity level in you to see this film as it has been shot during the lockdown period in August or September and the presence of some well-known faces who deserves more than this and we as an audience too.
This film successfully shows the world the mirror of our present scenario and works as a caution that our world might become like the world of the Songbird if we continue to be careless or take this virus lightly.
KJ Apa, the hero of Riverdale, is nothing extraordinary here. Just an extended version of Archie who wants to save his girlfriend Sara from the cruel Department of Sanitation. Sofia Carson has a sweet presence and is good. Demi Moore as Piper and Bradley Whitford as William is quite okay and Alexandra Daddario as May has lent good support. Peter Stormare was a delight and fun to see.
The cinematography by Jacques Jouffret is the best thing in the film. His camera work has a resemblance from his earlier works like The Purge: Election Year, Mile 22, or Bloodshot and is simply spectacular. The aerial shots are a treat and evoke horror at the same time. The music is good and the Production design by Jennifer Spence is also quite alright.
So Songbird is an opportunity lost. I was expecting so much from this movie but it shattered my hopes. This film is for those who love action thrillers which present are here in a contrived manner. It fails to impress with its drama and thrills and not a single time delivers edge of the seat moments which was expected here and that too frequently. Apart from its first 4-5 minutes it never engages you tightly in the story as it has nothing, neither emotions nor rigidity. If you're interested in seeing this film just because of relevance, don't watch it, it roams around some fixed characters without exploring anything about the virus.
Rating:- 2/5
Now available via Video on Demand.
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