FrightFest 2024 Review: BROKEN BIRD is a Macabre Exploration of Grief

Broken Bird had the enviable, and possibly daunting, task of opening this year’s FrightFest festival, which is now in its 25th year. Previous festival openers include The Guest, Land of the Dead and Suitable Flesh, so Broken Bird shares company with some very high fliers, but would this year’s opener nose dive or soar towards the sun? Well, it’s safe to say that Broken Bird is not a lame duck.

Upon first meeting Sybil (Rebecca Calder) you would be forgiven for thinking she seems very proper, very traditional and very reserved; you would be right… to an extent. Her pristine and formal look, her polite and dignified manner and her interest in poetry seemingly make her the perfect employee – tending to grieving relatives and managing their needs, but Sybil has darker sides.

Sybil begins a new job in a funeral home run by the recently widowed Mr. Thomas (James Fleet); by day she dutifully tends to the needs of the deceased, and by night she reads poetry at a local bar. Sybil manages this simple life whilst also raising a young child by herself. However, there are flashbacks to a tragic car accident in her past that often permeates her thoughts. One day, she meets Mark (Jay Taylor), and there is an instant attraction – she even fantasises about kissing him. It appears that her life is on the up, but this seemingly picturesque life is very much in Sybil’s head.

At the same time, police officer Emma (Sacharissa Claxton) is grieving the loss of her son and the breakdown of her marriage. Haunted by past events and the final words she said to her child, Emma seeks solace in alcohol, and she is asked to take time off of work. Her life appears to be spiralling out of control. 

Both Sybil and Emma have experienced tragic loss and grief, and although both appear to be at different stages of the process, Sybil has taken a darker turn, living an alternate reality that is very morbid, delusional and dangerous to those she comes into close contact with, especially as her day job allows her to mix business with pleasure.

Though Sybil, Emma and even Mr. Thomas all share that sense of loss for a loved one, each handles and deals with their grief on their own. Some try to hold onto the past by any means and others try to make sense of what has happened.  

Broken Bird has cerebral and methodical precision and this is personified by Rebecca Calder’s turn as Sybil, which is beautifully macabre. Sybil is someone that appears to play at being human, she copies and mimics the behaviours she sees in a bid to blend in. She is prone to flights of fantasy, which range from the violent to the romantic, and it is in these moments of fantasy that Sybil is truly at home – she seems most comfortable not being herself. Calder’s portrayal of Sybil not only swings from the poised to the fantastical, she also walks the knife-edge of being the dangerous villain and the tragic victim. She wants the simple things that others have, but she goes to insidious lengths to obtain them.

Much like the aesthetics of Mr Thomas’ funeral home and embalming room, Broken Bird has a pristine look throughout. Whether capturing a macabre and in-depth autopsy or a romantic and elegant dance and embrace from the 1920s, the visuals are crisp and pure. The scenes of fantasy are filmed in the same manner as the everyday, and much like Sybil’s interpretation of life, the fantastical and the routine blend together seamlessly. Director Joanne Mitchell’s debut is incredibly stylised and well-constructed.

Broken Bird is a singular character study into Sybil’s many interpretations of life. The story and other strands of the tale feel less important compared to Sybil’s activities, motivations and actions. Whilst the story’s theme revolves around loss, grief and how individuals process the death of loved ones, it’s Sybil that takes centre stage – she is both the broken bird and bird of prey.

Movie Score: 4/5