Sybil Chamberlain (Rebecca Calder) is an introverted woman that spends her time writing and performing poetry, and perfect her taxidermy hobby. Obsessed with the dead, Sybil works in a funeral parlour and her ability to tell the difference between fiction and reality begins to blur. Still suffering from the after effects of losing her family in a tragic accident when she was only 10 years old, Sybil’s behaviour reaches alarming new levels as she fixates on Mark (Jay Taylor), a man she meets at a museum.
‘Broken Bird’ is a feature film adaptation of Joanne Mitchell and Tracey Sheal’s 2018 award-winning short ‘Sybil’, which featured a screenplay by Dominic Brunt (‘Emmerdale’). Expanding on the basic premise of Sybil and her dark desires, the film adds in a secondary plot revolving around the mystery of a missing child. The two storylines run in parallel, advancing without seemingly bearing any relation to one another but of course as the film progresses clarity begins to emerge.
‘Broken Bird’ certainly has interesting ideas but it doesn’t manage to fully integrate its different storylines. The viewer is left in the dark for a little too long and the disconnect between the two central stories becomes a little jarring. For me, the more interesting of the two stories is Sybil and her growing obsession with Mark, which allows us to learn more about the intriguing lead character and the reasons for her bizarre behaviour. It would be easy for Sybil to be a two-dimensional ‘baddie’ but the material hear allows for much more nuance than that.
Rebecca Calder leaves a lasting impression thanks to her committed performance as Sybil. Refusing to let viewers think that she’s simply a crazy person, Calder manages to bring out the trauma that has led Sybil to the point she’s at when the film begins. Incredibly she makes the character sympathetic, despite her actions being morally questionable. Calder commands the screen every time she’s on it and she easily overshadows the rest of the cast. That’s not to say the supporting cast is bad – on the contrary – they just don’t manage to meet the same level of performance that Calder gives.
‘Broken Bird’ perhaps tries to do a little too much and it would have been better to put sole focus on Sybil and her obsession. The secondary storyline, whilst leading to a shocking climax, slows down the main story and it takes precious time away from the wonderful Calder. Director Joanne Mitchell clearly has a flair for capturing the gothic, and her vision transports you into a dark world that horror fans will love, and I hope we see her collaborate with Calder again in the future. ‘Broken Bird’ is intriguing but it’s not quite as strong as you think it’s going to be after the first half hour.
Cast: Rebecca Calder, Jay Taylor, Sacharissa Claxton, James Fleet Director: Joanne Mitchell Writers: Dominic Brunt, Joanne Mitchell & Tracey Sheals Certificate: 15 Duration: 96 mins Released by: Catalyst Studios Release date: 22nd August (FrightFest), 30th August 2024 (UK cinemas)
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