Parents' Guide to The Thing with Feathers

Cumberbatch commits completely to his unhinged performance of a grieving husband whose psyche gradually fractures as he becomes trapped in a pit of despair. His acting is by far the best aspect of The Thing with Feathers, yet somehow the movie doesn't pack the emotional gut punch that it should. The character design of Crow is impressive and aptly menacing, gradually introduced through flashes of beak and feather until it looms into frame, filling scenes with its ominous presence. Thewlis's acerbic delivery lends the character a nasty, yet humorous edge that certainly adds something unique, but feels slightly at odds with the potential for threat. Closely framed shots, and dark, chaotic interiors create a claustrophobic feel that works well with the psychological state here, but the film veers between over-the-top melodrama and sudden obvious horror cliches in places, all the while beating viewers over the head with its central metaphor. Chapters focus a little on different characters—Dad, The Crow, The Boys, but are not shown from their POV so much, and the two sons are never really developed beyond their presence in relation to Cumberbatch. It's a creepy, unnerving film that has similarities with other grief-themed horrors like The Babadook, but in bringing the material from page to screen and forcing aspects of the novella into movie tropes, it's lost a little of its impact.