The Sandra Bullock Netflix Spin-Off That’s A Bewildering Thriller
A spin-off sequel to the 2018 Sandra Bullock film Bird Box called Bird Box Barcelona is streaming now on Netflix. The premise is similar—a worldwide catastrophe has caused most of Earth’s population to die—but the setting is Barcelona, Spain, with some new twists. In the films, strange entities are causing anyone who looks at them to commit suicide, leading those who seek to survive constantly wearing blindfolds to avoid the possibility of becoming victims.
While neither Sandra Bullock nor John Malkovich is involved in the new film, Bird Box Barcelona doesn’t need to lean on star power to be intriguing.
Written and directed by Álex and David Pastor, the second exploration of the Bird Box world focuses on Sebastián (Mario Casas) and his daughter Claire (Georgiana Campbell) as they embark on a journey of survival. In this version of the story, some people are known as “seers” because they can look upon the mysterious entity without coming to harm.
Sandra Bullock’s character, Malorie, was similarly seeking safety for herself and two children in the first Bird Box, showing more connective threads between the two films. The suspense of the movie is where its real horror lies, with blinded characters moving about in a world that can turn deadly dangerous at any moment. With mixed reviews so far, Bird Box Barcelona is impressing some viewers and critics more than others, but it seems focused on maintaining the tension throughout.
In this version of the story, some people are known as “seers” because they can look upon the mysterious entity without coming to harm.
Just as Sandra Bullock’s character in the first film was faced with the enormous challenge of protecting two children and making sure they kept their blindfolds on, Mario Casas’ Sebastián is driven by his need to protect his daughter. But as their journey progresses, Sebastián finds he must deal with some dark secrets in his past if he and Claire are going to survive.
In production in Spain since January 2021, the spin-off sequel to the Sandra Bullock original makes a strong case as a worthy follow-up, receiving much the same type of reviews as did its predecessor. Of course, this time, there is no ill-conceived promotional events or, so far, any reports of blindfolded driving. That’s a good thing as this film needs all the positive press it can get.
Sandra Bullock in the Original Bird Box
The original Bird Box with Sandra Bullock was based on the synonymous novel by Josh Malerman. Though the book was released in 2014, Universal Pictures optioned the rights in 2013 before it even went to press.
Originally set to be produced at Universal by Scott Stuber and Chris Morgan, when Stuber took a new job as head of Netflix’s feature film division in July of 2017, it was soon announced that the streaming service had purchased the rights from the studio.
At the same time, it was announced that Sandra Bullock would be starring in the film, along with John Malkovich. Though Andy Muschietti had been attached to direct, that job went instead to Susanne Bier while Eric Heisserer was brought on as screenwriter. By October of that year, principal photography began in California.
Sporting not only the star power of Sandra Bullock and John Malkovich, but visual effects by Industrial Light & Magic, the film opened to mixed reviews and no small amount of buzz. Unfortunately, that buzz had to do with online “Bird Box challenges,” which had begun as a promotional effort where people played video games blindfolded but ended up with people attempting everyday tasks in blindfolds.
This led to quite a few injuries, including one young lady who drove into oncoming traffic.
The spin-off sequel to the Sandra Bullock original makes a strong case as a worthy follow-up, receiving much the same type of reviews as did its predecessor.
But the Sandra Bullock-led film still received a good amount of praise, along with criticism of its script, which some reviewers found to be “thin” and leading to a “silly” ending. The terrifying premise of the film can get lost among the shortcomings and the oddly nonchalant approach of the online challenges, not to mention how they went wrong. But this new film might be able to explore the ideas of the horrifying suspense available in the source material in new and interesting ways.
Whether there will be any further Bird Box sequels or spin-offs, perhaps even with a returning Sandra Bullock, is yet to be seen, and it’s safe to say (pun intended) that few saw this film coming. But if you’re looking for a creepy thriller, give Bird Box Barcelona a peek on Netflix.
