Netflix Dystopian Horror So Terrifying You’ll Cover Your Eyes

While most apocalyptic movies opt for the beloved “zombies have taken over the world” trope, Bird Box throws that out the window, choosing something more original and, I believe, more terrifying. Instead, Malorie, the boy, and the girl must fight against forces unseen…kind of.

The entities in Bird Box that caused the downfall of modern society are quite visible; however, when you look at them, they cause you to kill yourself. If you’ve seen the poster, you probably noticed the blindfolds placed over the characters’ eyes; wearing them is the only way they can safely maneuver around without the risk of catching a deadly glimpse of the horrific creatures.

Malorie doesn’t start out with the birds or the kids but happens upon them when joining a group of survivors. Five years later, when the demonic entities have killed every other member of the group, Malorie must take guardianship of the two small children. The three of them, along with the birds who are now kept in a shoebox with holes punched in it, must venture into the unknown to seek refuge.

I need to take a minute to talk about the pet birds because the way I’ve mentioned them makes it seem like a throwaway element. The birds serve two purposes in this film: they represent the beauty of life before for Malorie and also aid in the group’s survival.

Akin to a canary in a coal mine, the birds grow increasingly agitated when one of the creatures grows near, allowing them to be aware of their surroundings without having to actually see it. In short, the birds are pretty important.

There is almost a biological fear of being chased by something you can’t see, and Bird Box capitalizes on that fact. The entities are never fully shown on screen, which I think is a brilliant choice and echoes the creatures’ lore. Revealing them to the audience would have been a fair choice, but something about being on an equal playing field with the characters is exciting.

Even though this film came out in 2018, I won’t lay out the whole plot or spoil the ending because I honestly could not explain it well enough to justify it. Yes, it is in the horror genre but more in the way that Mike Flanagan’s The Haunting of Hill House is also in the horror genre. Underneath all of the nightmares lies a story that aims to portray the complexities of grief and the effect they have on interpersonal relationships.

The reception of Bird Box was mixed. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film received an audience score and a critics’ score of 58 percent and 64 percent, respectively. Many believe that the film tried and failed to achieve what A Quiet Place was able to do; both films have similar plot elements and were also released within the same year. On Rotten Tomatoes, A Quiet Place received a critic score of 96 percent and an audience rating of 83 percent, significantly surpassing that of Bird Box.

REVIEW SCORE

However, I will personally die on the hill that Bird Box is a good movie; I’ve been entertained every single time I’ve watched it. So, if you haven’t seen it or haven’t seen it since 2018, give it a rewatch. Bird Box is currently available to stream on Netflix, and I highly recommend you do so after you come back and tell me if I’m wrong for defending it so hard.