Dee (Julie Shaw) finds Dink (Berwick Kaler) puking in the gutter and buys him a cup of tea. She’s attracted to Dink, and feels sorry for the guy, so she invites him to stay with her in her ramshackle flat. Despite their mutual attraction, Dink shrinks away every time Dee tries to initiate sex. Dink seems to be more into an old biddy named Mabel (Elaine Shore) who reminds him of his mother, which further puts a strain on his budding romance with Dee. As time goes on, their relationship becomes more awkward and dysfunctional, and it ends with predictably tragic results.
Nightbirds is a fascinating, stark, and realistic drama from writer/director Andy Milligan. If you just know him from his cheesy horror movies, this will be a pleasant surprise. It almost feels like a ‘60s skin flick directed by Ingmar Bergman.
The first portion of the film with Dee and Dink meeting and testing the sexual waters is riveting stuff. Many scenes are awkward and painful to watch, but when you’re dealing with characters that have so much emotional baggage, it rings true, and almost unbearably so at times. It becomes a little less effective once the peripheral characters are introduced, but whenever Milligan is exploring Dee and Dink’s gloriously messy relationship, it’s equal parts captivating and heartbreaking. Ultimately, they are two pieces of different puzzles trying hopelessly to fit together.
I’m only a few films into this box sex, but I feel confident in saying Nightbirds is one of Andy Milligan’s best. Although it often feels stage bound due to the fact it mostly takes place in one apartment, the acting and staging feels much more natural than Milligan’s typical theatrics. Both performers are excellent, especially Shaw (who unfortunately only appeared in a handful of films in her short career) whose character yearns for love but settles for companionship. Kaler is also memorable as Dink, who often appears uncomfortable in his own skin, particularly when anything sexual is about to go down.
Like The Body Beneath, this is one of the movies from Milligan’s England era. It also features many cast members from that film including Felicity Sentence, Susan Heard, and Kaler. And as with many Milligan pictures, it features a character that has a domineering mother. (Milligan had one in real life.)
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