The Wasteland Reviewer

White Bird (2024) Written Review

Are you prepared for the follow-up to the charming little drama, Wonder, that we were all waiting for? You might have expected a follow-up to Auggie’s story after everything he went through in the first film. But…that is not what you are going to get with this unexpected and long delayed spin-off to Wonder. This focuses on Auggie’s bully who was expelled and now is struggling to fit-in at his new school. This is a film about a story that would scare him into being a good person. Of course…it is about the Holocaust. 

Does this strange and unexpected framing device work well to do right by Wonder and this new Holocaust tale at the center of White Bird? Not really. If you were going to do some type of follow-up to Wonder, do it. If you want to tell a harrowing tale of a young Jewish girl finding safety and love in the companionship of a young disabled boy, you probably shouldn’t direct from it with some misguided attempt to build on a completely unrelated film franchise. Sure, the story of Julian’s grandmother and her attempts to survive the Nazis is a powerful story worth telling. You probably shouldn’t try to overshadow it by teaching a bully a lesson in terms of a narrative sense. This all seems so off and ineffective. 

How about the actual Holocaust tale brought to life in Marc Foster’s new drama? In many ways, it hits the beats it needs to be emotionally impactful and thematically resonant (while also being respectful to the tragedy that is the background). There are plenty of emotion and harsh elements that capture the true hatred of the Nazis to the Jewish people amongst others. There are horrific moments of evil displayed on screen as well as truly tragic moments (certainly as the film comes to its climax). But the film does feel like it is playing it safe as well. This is a film that feels structured enough for a young audience to process and that blunts the impact on some level. You can still feel the emotion, but this is not a film that truly shows horror like other films. The connection between these two misfits is the true heart of the film for sure. 

Can the cast deliver some of that emotion heft needed to respectfully tackle such a horrific time in history? Helen Mirren is the anchor as she plays the grandmother telling the tale. There is a weight and gravity that Mirren injects into this performance despite just sitting there talking to her on-screen grandson. Gillian Anderson does a great job as the veteran presence during the Holocaust sequence of the film. Between Mirren and Anderson, Forster chose well in anchoring her cast with some great performers. The two young leads Ariella Glaser and Orlando Schwerdt also pull their weight and deliver moving and empathetic performances. The young duo has good chemistry which helps anchor the emotional threads of the story (especially once the danger becomes more evident). 

Is White Bird a strong addition to the catalog of films that tackle one of the darkest times in human history? It might not…but it does accomplish its goal. There are certainly punches pulled and elements that don’t deliver at the level of impact that you would want them to (as well as they should) but this is a tale that is more digestible. In the film, young Julian needs to be able to process this story from his grandmother. For the audience watching White Bird, this allows a younger crowd into the conversation and experience. That is a needed thing, and White Bird is still a respectful and effective exercise.