Dead Birds

Though Dead Birds is only sporadically effective, the film does deserve kudos for the simple fact that it’s a horror movie that’s actually scary (an increasingly rare thing nowadays). The storyline involves a group of Civil War-era bank robbers that decide to hole up in a creepy mansion after a big score, though – unbeknownst to them – said mansion has a troubled (read: bloody) history. Director Alex Turner infuses Dead Birds with a hefty dose of style, while the various performers – including Henry Thomas and Isaiah Washington – are surprisingly effective in their respective roles. The deliberate pacing of the movie does take a while to get used to, though, especially for viewers who like their horror movies fast and bloody. But the genuinely creepy images on display here (ie little kids with fangs for teeth) are disturbing enough to allow us to overlook the various flaws.

**1/2 out of ****