The Thing That Ate The Birds Review

Don’t Go Up On The Moors!

By Mark

Abel, Abe, Eoin Slattery (“Jewel Intentions (Short)”, “Refuge (Short)”), is a man working on the North Yorkshire Moors with Jake, Lewis Mackinnon (“Doctors (TV)”, “Chosen”), keeping an eye on the land, and the wildlife.

At home his wife Grace, Rebecca Palmer (“Summer in the Shade”, “M.I.High (TV)”), rattles around the home, sleeping in the bedroom whilst Abe sleeps on the sofa in the living room. They are obviously having difficulties and it appears Grace is more willing to talk about it then Abe.

Back on the Moors and Abe and Jake are finding dead birds everywhere. They don’t know what is killing them, but something is and it is not doing it in the nicest of ways either, if there is a nice way to kill a bird?

Whilst up on the Moors one day the pair stumble across a blackbird, recently killed, its wings still twitching. Whilst Abe is examining it, Jake is attempting to get his attention, he’s spotted something, something much worse than the dead bird.

When Abe looks up he realises they’ve found what has been killing the birds and Abe, shotgun in hand, doesn’t hesitate, despite Jake’s protestations.

Back at home and Grace makes an attempt to talk to Abe about their relationship, about him, what’s been going on with him recently, but Abe isn’t having any of it and is forced outside when the car alarm goes off.

Gun in hand, once again, he takes a look but is then forced back inside to find something much, much worse than what he’d ever seen whilst on the Moors.

The Thing That Ate The Birds is written and directed by Dan Gitsham and Sophie Mair (who previously brought us the excellent shortest of short films “ Bill “). It’s a well-made piece of work that has good production values and does what I think a good short film should do, that is, leave you wanting more.

Originally published at https://www.ocmoviereviews.com.