White Bird in a Blizzard - A Movie Review

It’s about time we got on with our lives. Maybe this happened for a reason.

White Bird in Blizzard was released to theaters in 2014. 17-year-old Katrine’s mother has disappeared. Not worried about her disappearance due to the tense relationship they had, Katrine finds that she cares more as she reminisces on life.

White Bird in a Blizzard is a chilling film about growth and seeing what you want to see. Growth, coming of age, and sex plays substantial themes After watching, this film is very different compared to the first watch.

Katrine is a complex character. I am very impressed with Shailene Woodley’s focused performance. She conducted a serious narration throughout. Showing no modesty, Woodley expressed important teenage matters.

Still a teenager, her mother's disappearance has conflicted Kat’s mind more than she thinks. As a girl who gets around, her growth is a critical part of her character.

All actors were well-cast as their characters. Eva Green and Christopher Meloni’s characters change following the ending. They analyzed the layers of the script, challenging viewers on whose side they were on. Green manifested strange behaviors as Kat’s mother. Her angle deserved more focus.

Shiloh Fernadez, Thomas Jane, Gabourey Sidibe, Mark Indelicato, Dale Dicker, Ava Acres, and more appear. There’s even a short appearance by Angela Bassett as Katrine’s therapist.

I have only seen Sidibe in Precious where she inhabited a completely different personality. My favorite scenes involved Katrine and her friends. Everyone was challenged to play a contrasting persona.

White Bird in a Blizzard is not just a mystery. It’s a coming-of-age story. Greg Araki told a different story from a new perspective. It makes the story more impactful. Though, here’s Araki’s flaw in his direction. Midway through I forgot that this was a murder mystery. It focuses too much on Katrine’s sex life.

He manifests dark edits and visuals. The coloring was studied well to represent past and present. Some of the tones did not match with this film, gearing off into a fantasy genre. For a lot of scenes with Katrine and her dad, there’s vast space along with a new tone in each scene.

A scene at the end of the film between Katrine and her dad had me on the edge of my seat. Separated on each side of a room, all that space did not feel comforting. Tension epitomizes the air.

Sex is the main theme. It’s one of the most important traits of Kat’s character. Sometimes that felt like the film's only focus, steering away from the story. It was also uncomfortable seeing Katrine get with people much older than her.

Here’s where the story shouldn’t have revolved around a teenager’s perspective the entire time. It’s too much of a drama. The film could have used more layers of dark comedy. Katrine should have realized sooner what may have happened to her mother.

The only pinch of dark comedy was at the climax. It also became repetitive in its storytelling moving from the present-day back into flashbacks.

Films have a way of making audiences think. You don’t have to be on the main character's side. I related to Kat because of her growth. As we grow, we saw the world and people, specifically our parents in a different light. Growing up as a teenager is not easy. We’re becoming our own person. Make your person whoever you want as long as you are happy.

I recommend that you take a look at White Bird in a Blizzard. Don’t watch White Bird in a Blizzard once. It’s a deep film that stays with you.