The COVID-19 pandemic has been one of the greatest reckonings the world has ever faced, and we are still a long way from being past it. The cinematic landscape is far from the most important industry that has been disrupted by the pandemic, but it is one that many have a very personal and emotionally driven relationship with in the end. We always knew that the realities of the world were going to impact the actual content of certain films, but we may have not always known exactly how it would play out. It was a pleasant surprise during the recent SXSW film festival that films such as Recovery, How It Ends and Language Lessons took the somber circumstances of today and used it to create something joyous and life affirming. The Michael Bay-produced Songbird, described as the first major studio film to go into production during the pandemic ABOUT the pandemic goes in a bit of a different direction. As if you were not stressed enough about reality, this dramatic thriller heightens our situation to a more dystopian level to create a sledgehammer of a film that feels exploitative and already dated.
The year is 2024 and 110 million people have died from COVID-23, a mutated and more deadly strain of the virus we all know which has a mortality rate of greater than 50 percent. If you thought the “lockdown” America faced last year was bad, you would not be able to handle the 214 straight weeks that Los Angeles has been under. This is not the mere suggestion of a lockdown; if you go outside without the proper clearance the powers that be have orders to shoot on sight. Only the people who have a natural immunity (cloyingly referred to as “munies”) are able to go out with their special bracelets indicating they are clear from harm. Such is the case for our hero Nico (KJ Apa, Riverdale), who works as a courier for Lester (Craig Robinson) – a man who gets packages to the ultra rich. Nico works hard, but he is a bit of a goofball who likes to take time to enjoy the simple things. He has a girlfriend named Sara (a lovely Sofia Carson), who he met through a misdelivered package and fell in love without ever seeing one another person. When Sara’s grandmother gets sick, Nico must rush to find a way to keep Sara from being shipped to the wasteland that is the Q-Zone.
Director and co-writer Adam Mason attempts to weave a Crash-esque tapestry of characters that amounts to many plotlines that are either not very interesting or cringeworthy. The rich people that we get a look at are played by Demi Moore and Bradley Whitford, who seems to be loving his career as a problematic white guy post-Get Out. The couple are dealing in counterfeit immunity bracelets, which I think would only worsen the problem with the disease spreading at a rapid rate. Ole Bradley is a not so benevolent presence in the life of May (Alexandra Daddario, True Detective), a singer who came to LA for a recording deal but has become stuck and beholden to an abusive power. She at least has recently found a kinship with Dozer, played by the film’s MVP Paul Walter Hauser of Richard Jewell and Cobra Kai fame. Dozer is a wheelchair-bound veteran who uses his drone skills to spy on couriers for Lester and help out friends like May. They are all at the mercy of the power-hungry leader of the Department of Sanitation played by the typically unhinged Peter Stormare (Fargo). A lot of the stories are linked, but by the end you find yourself not really caring either way.
The film never really takes the time to explain how even with a Gestapo-esque presence keeping people locked in their houses the virus finds a way to keep spreading. Not to mention the issues of how people are getting their essential food items if they cannot go to the stores (which would not be open?). Even if they were open, are there that many immune couriers working? Does money even really still mean anything in this world? Plus, the main goal of the protagonist is to try to ensure his girlfriend is allowed to circumvent the quarantine laws because big brother is crazy and trying to keep you oppressed? Is that really the message we want to be sending out to people who are already looking for a reason not to take this pandemic seriously? From a technical standpoint, the film is very impressive given the limitations the crew were under during production. The story is just too sloppy and misguided to get you invested on any real level. I am very happy these actors were able to make a little scratch during a pandemic, but this whole experiment feels very bleak and misguided. The human race needs better than this right now.
Video Quality
Songbird debuts on Blu-Ray with a 1080p presentation in a 2.39:1 aspect ratio that captures the intended aesthetic of the film really well. The movie itself has a muted color palette that was never going to make this a disc you show off, but there is an excellent amount of detail and clarity. There is slight loss of detail in fast panning shots, and there are the obvious shortcomings that come with filming during a pandemic such as the reliance of screens more than usual which makes for an ugly appearance. The movie does employ some deep black levels, but there is some apparent digital noise at points. Objects hold up pretty well in the shadows and retain their depth. There is no damage detectable in this transfer. There are not really any moments that are going to jump off the screen, but this is an incredibly sleek and solid video presentation overall.
Audio Quality
Songbird comes to Blu-Ray with a commendable DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio track. This being a Michael Bay production, the filmmakers find a way to make an isolating pandemic into a bombastic production with thundering music cues and pulse-pounding action when it counts. The low end of the track is especially active during intense sequences with a bit of wall shaking happening. The dialogue and sound effects are appropriately balanced with the large score where nothing gets lost in the track. Surround channels get some nice activity during the scenes where the sanitation crews are not employing very good social distancing. There are no issues whatsoever with this track.
Special Features
- Deleted Scenes: Eighteen scenes of unused material totaling 45 minutes are included here which features scenes of Nico reflecting on his old life, more scenes with May interacting with Dozer, an extended striptease scene, new scenes with Harland and more. None of these scenes are essential but worth a watch if you like the movie. These scenes are also provided with an optional audio commentary from director and co-writer Adam Mason.
- The Story of Songbird: A surprisingly in-depth 46-minute featurette in which the cast and crew discuss bringing this film to life. You can understand why these creatives wanted to make this story, but based on their comments I believe they overestimated how much the audience would be craving pandemic content by the time it was released. It is interesting to see how Michael Bay upped the ante of this story with his enthusiasm for the project. Even if you do not love the project, this is a pretty fascinating capsule of what it was like to make a movie in the thick of a global pandemic.
- “Kingdom” Promo Video: A three-minute video from Røyale which features footage from the film along with imagery of the artist herself. The song is pleasant.
- The Making of “Kingdom”: A four-minute look at the creation of the song featured in the previous supplement and how they filmed the music video in lockdown.
- Audio Commentary: Director/Co-Writer Adam Mason and Co-Writer Simon Boyes provide an informative commentary track which breaks down some of the difficulties of making a film during a pandemic and turning this rough situation into something creative.
Final Thoughts
Songbird is simply not a very good film. Everyone is trying to get through this pandemic the best way they know how, but even beyond the exploitative approach to our current predicament the film already feels dated. The best thing that this production has going for it is being “the first” which highlights the inconsequential essence of the story. I’m happy these performers received a paycheck during the pandemic, but few will find enjoyment from the final product. Universal Pictures Home Entertainment has provided a Blu-Ray with a rock solid A/V presentation and more substantial special features than you might expect.
Songbird is currently available to purchase on Blu-Ray, DVD and Digital.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Universal Pictures Home Entertainment has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.
