Much better than most of the horror stuff that gets thrown our way these days. The premise of a deserted house in the middle of nowhere being occupied by supernatural forces is hardly a new one, but it matters not. What does matter is the appropriate soundtrack, a good atmosphere, and a gradual but effective set-up of events. Yes, the movie does tend to be a tad too slow in the first half, but as long as there is a sense that something ominous i.e. interesting will happen that is never a problem. The effects are good, the direction is skillful, and the dialogue and acting are above-par for a horror film. The creatures do not look too original, but at least they're not an n-th rehash of "Alein" monsters, which I think we can all do without. There are smaller problems with how certain characters react in certain situations. The ending is interesting: have they all become demons the moment they entered the property? Or was that symbolic of the fact that they were all sinners i.e. murderers hence automatically demons in a sense? The Civil War setting is certainly fairly unusual.
Review of Dead Birds
