Sci-Fi Thriller Disaster On Streaming Will Shock And Terrorize You

Birdemic: Shock and Terror was shot with a paltry budget of $10,000, and I’d be lying if I told you I didn’t think it was made for less. But with low-budget sci-fi disaster thrillers of this caliber, you really need to appreciate Birdemic for what it was always destined to be: a modern cult-classic with an audacious edge, less-than-desirable sound design, stilted acting and dialogue, and an important message that never quite sticks the landing because of how severely this outing assaults your senses and intelligence in every conceivable way. 

The premise to Birdemic: Shock and Terror is simple enough, so I’ll spare you the granular plot points aside from what’s absolutely essential to pique your interest– while exposition and context is always important, you’re better off seeing this kind of cinematic spectacle yourself. 

When Rod (Alan Bagh), a star Silicon Valley salesman, closes a million-dollar deal, he decides to start his own solar panel business. With great wealth comes great responsibility, and Rod wants to use his newfound wealth to make the world a better place through his energy conservation efforts. 

By chance, Rod happens upon Nathalie (Whitney Moore), his high school crush who’s now pursuing a modeling career. Rod and Nathalie immediately hit it off, but have to put their romantic intent on the backburner when mutated eagles and vultures drop from the sky and explode upon impact. Though the title, Birdemic: Shock and Terror, lets the viewer know what to expect, this primary source of conflict is only briefly glossed over during a quick news bumper before things kick into high gear. 

From the first avian impact until Birdemic’s conclusion, there’s nothing else to witness but pure, unbridled chaos. The birds in Birdemic: Shock and Terror are all the same copy/pasted CGI bird, and they sound like torpedoes when they rain down on the streets of San Francisco. Ironically enough, the sound of screeching eagles – and what I assume is a series of royalty free explosion sounds – is a refreshing change of pace from the more dialogue-heavy scenes. 

While I have limitless patience for any kind of B-movie that gets placed in front of me, I feel the desperate need to point out that you need to watch this creature feature with a good pair of headphones and the subtitles switched to the ‘on’ position. There’s a scene that takes place along the coastline that makes me wonder why Birdemic simply wasn’t called Wind: The Movie when you take into consideration how difficult it is to make out some verbal exchanges.

GFR SCORE

Despite its obvious (and many) flaws, Birdemic: Shock and Terror is an absolute treat if you want a popcorn flick that makes little sense but has inherent charm and rewatch value due to its heavy-handed environmental messaging juxtaposed with its absolutely incompetent execution. And if you’re not happy after spending 93 minutes of your time subjecting yourself to James Nguyen’s unfiltered vision of environmental disaster, I challenge you to make a film that’s even half as entertaining as what he accomplished with Birdemic: Shock and Terror.

As of this writing, you can stream Birdemic: Shock and Terror for free on Tubi.