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Managing editor & film and television critic with a Bachelor's of Arts in English Literature with a Writing Minor from the University of Guam. Currently in graduate school completing a Master's in English Literature.
While I am still in my 20s, I enjoy getting my heart pumping at every chance I get. When it comes to the horror genre, I just need that adrenaline rush. Sophie Mair and Dan Gitsham’s short film, The Thing that Ate the Birds, premieres this week at the South by Southwest’s film festival, and it is absolutely terrifying. The plot of the story is as follows:
…Abel, the Head Gamekeeper … discovers the thing that is eating his grouse. His blunt and violent response brings the menace back home shattering his already crumbling relationship with his wife.
Themes and Concepts
Open Spaces
The film has a lot of open spaces, especially when we see Abel (Eoin Slattery) and lad Jake (Lewis MacKinnon) traversing the green fields. With the help of James Oldham’s cinematography, we are presented with the unknown. From what the writer-directors suggest, the world lives in an uncertain political condition. These unoccupied spaces could contain a sense of freedom, but do we really know this for sure? We do not know what is there — around and between us — but what we do know is that there is something lingering and lurking. Depending on your perception, it is up to you to decide whether that is a good or bad thing.
Cautionary Clues
At the very least, there are a few warning signs present throughout the film. Abel’s wife, Grace (Rebecca Palmer) steps on broken glass lying in the open spaces of the kitchen floor. No one knows where this broken glass came from, but it does foreshadow that something, most likely the Thing, breaks into their car and their home. Similarly, Abel is cut in the same room. At first, this occurrence may come off as slightly innocuous is actually ominous as to what happens later. Additionally, there is a little statue figurine of a bird on the windowsill as Grace is on a phone call. Lastly, when Abel discovers the Thing (James Swanton), he loads his rifle and aims it at the creature. Jake tells him, “Don’t do it. Don’t,” but ultimately, Abel shoots the Thing dead. Or so we think.
The car alarm sounds at night, and the man tells his wife to “stay inside,” although this is a hypocritical statement for him to make. People tend to not follow their own advice. It is what it is, and it happens.
Discussion
Mair and Gitsham’s narrative is easy to follow. However, the more challenging element of this short film is the different set of morals we can take with us after all is said and done. Who attacks first is a fact that scrutinizes how our societies function. Are these people truly bad humans? The answer is a plain “no,” because we are instead full of fear we do not quite comprehend or understand. The lesson to be had in The Thing that Ate the Birds is simple. Expect certain consequences for every decision made, whether right or wrong.
The tricky part is Abel’s contemplations of his actions. He gets glimpses and split-second flashbacks at shooting the Thing, who for all we know could have been harmless. Retrospection, if not proactivity, should be the way life could be. However, in our modern world, many assailants are arrested but not properly incarcerated, thus allowing them insufficient rehabilitation required of them.
The grotesque entity in this film represents the minority that is often made a literal target in society today. We can easily corroborate this with Abel’s bigoted milieu and the uneasiness felt when attacking that that is not himself. The act of the Thing can simply be seen as karma at play. The image in the final shot of the film is symbolic of where we stand in the world — socially and politically. This is an intelligent way of looking at the state of things.
Final Thoughts
Overall, this short film provides details that we must dig and search deeper for. The ideas to be gained are not explicit, so it is best to give the narrative thorough thought before reaching conclusions.
You can catch the filmmakers’ The Thing That Ate the Birds at the South by Southwest film festival this week! Additionally, to learn more about this film, stay tuned for my interview with the writer-directors themselves!
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Managing editor & film and television critic with a Bachelor's of Arts in English Literature with a Writing Minor from the University of Guam. Currently in graduate school completing a Master's in English Literature.
