Nerds That Geek Movie Review: ‘Dead Birds’

Written by Scott Edwards

​Accepting a loss on any level can be devastating to people and there is nothing to be ashamed about when you take it harder than somebody else. After losing several family members of my own when I was just a youngin’, I was forced to see mortality at work when my mind was just starting to grow. This has helped me through the years as I have lost many more of my aging family members and while I do not seem to have remorse, I just show it in a different way and would rather celebrate their lives instead of focusing on their deaths. To each their own, and I am a firm believer that having a smile on my face when another loss comes will help everyone else remember the good times and not the sorrow at hand.
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Riding into town after a Confederate pay wagon has just pulled in, William and his men are looking to make a stop at the bank. After being told that they will have to wait, even though they are Confederate troops themselves, William’s men are ready to take what is rightfully theirs. Disposing of the opposing force, William has his plan in place of where to hide out for the night, but as the sun continues to shine down on the robbers, the group is starting to question if the house William told them about is real or just a fairy tale. Rolling up to a cornfield, the group sees an old plantation house in the distance and are ready to rest up before their trip to Mexico in the morning.

Moving through the field and seeing a scarecrow that looks more like a man than anyone has ever seen before, the group is rushed by some sort of creature, and no one has any idea what it is. Putting down the creature, the group moves on to the house and gets ready to hold up for the night. Searching the house, Clyde and Joseph start talking about what they should be getting paid for this job and start to think that they can take out the rest of their band of robbers and just split the profits between each other. After being shot during the caper, Sam is getting tended to by Annabelle while William along with Todd are checking out the downstairs and discover that there is a door that will not open even though it is unlocked.

Being confident that the house is empty, the group settles in and takes a load off. Knowing that a storm is coming, Joseph heads out to get the horses and puts them into the barn. Needing to get the horses some water, he stops by the well and hears a child crying out for help. Not being able to see into the depths of the well, Joseph is taken by the child, never to be seen again. As the night rolls on and the group notices that one of their own is gone, they start exploring the grounds and while being left alone upstairs, Annabelle sees that the house is not empty as a scary child has jumped out at her. Not knowing the secrets that this house has hidden inside the walls will soon become William and his group’s undoing, as the demons that inhabit this house are ready to come out and play.

It seemed like from the get-go of this movie, I was going to be hooked, mainly because it started out with a great action sequence. But this did not continue throughout the film as it slowed down pretty much after that, and we are left to see the group start to battle with their own pasts. While you don’t get to know everything about everyone, you did get to learn a little bit as the house started to come to life. I liked the backstory of what happened in the house however, it was very dark and disturbing and worth the wait. With a gun battle, a battle for riches, a locked door, a sick man and demon children running the show, this is just a fun western/horror movie that will open your eyes to what could happen if you are willing to make a deal for someone’s life. Stay Scared.

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