*** My Songbird review and article are now I’ve ***
Two trailers have been getting attention for all the wrong reasons this week: Stardust, a movie about David Bowie that apparently doesn’t even feature his songs, and Songbird, a “romantic thriller” filmed during, and about, our current pandemic.
I haven’t watched the Stardust trailer (what are we meant to do, sing the songs ourselves?) I have watched the Songbird trailer, which is below – though I can understand the arguments if people don’t want to. (I’ve written an article about the issue here.)
Here’s the Songbird synopsis, which I got from IMDB as the publicists didn’t send one:
In 2022 a pandemic ravages the world and its cities. Centering on a handful of people as they navigate the obstacles currently hindering society: disease, martial law, quarantine, and vigilantes.
Songbird stars KJ Apa, Sofia Carson, Demi Moore, Bradley Whitford (whose character would probably wear three facemasks if he could), Paul Walter Hauser and Peter Stormare.
To be honest the trailer itself is pretty different to that rather sparse synopsis, and going from that and what I’ve read elsewhere, the film’s focus is Nico (Apa), a bicycle courier who is immune to the virus. Lockdown has been going on for years, as the virus has now mutated and has a mortality rate of over 50%.
Anyone in the US found to be infected is locked up in one of the quarantine camps, a fate soon threatening his girlfriend Sara (Carson).
The tagline is The only way out is together, though who knows if it will deliver them – and society – a happy ending.
Songbird written by Adam Mason and Simon Boyes and is directed by Mason, with Michael Bay producing. There’s no release date as yet. (I can’t imagine many people wanting to watch it in cinemas.)