Getting an October US and Canadian VOD release on key platforms after winning an award for Best Cinematography at the Brooklyn Horror Film Festival, Elizabeth R. Schuch’s The Book of Birdie is a gothic fairy tale which taps into the same psychological traumas that defined films like The Exorcist and The Omen amongst other religion-focused horror offerings.
Teenage girl Birdie (llirida Memedowski) is brought by her grandmother to a Midwest convent, where she is taken in by the nuns to try and overcome some key problems in her life. Her goal to overcome these traumas is compounded by the fact that she has visions of a nun who has hung herself on a nearby tree who talks to her and also has taken up a relationship with the groundskeeper’s daughter, Julia (Kitty Hall).
Before long, however, her own problems have extended within the rumours and thoughts of the order, who are in themselves suffering with the fact that the convent might well be closing down itself….
The Book of Birdie is not your average scare-fest, with none of the shocking moments that elevated the Friedkin and Donner originals to almost-legendary status amongst fans. Rather, it plays on the characterisation and perception that all the characters feel as they embark on life in seclusion.
As a result, fans expecting jump moments and leaps out of the closet will not be satisfied by this. However, if you are looking for a more compassionate analysis of how people see the world, then there is something of appeal in the film. There is blood on show, but people expecting a spider-walk down a stair or two and a creative death may feel cheated.
That said, the film is worth seeing.
THE BOOK OF BIRDIE / CERT: TBC / DIRECTOR: ELIZABETH E. SCHUCH / SCREENPLAY: ELIZABETH E. SCHUCH, ANAMI TARA SCHUCART / STARRING: SUZAN CROWLEY, KYMBERLY MELLEN, KATHRYN BROWNING / RELEASE DATE: TBC
