Bird Box (2018)
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A mother must navigate a world where looking at certain entities causes immediate self-destruction.
The story
In a post-apocalyptic world, Malorie Hayes must protect herself and two children from mysterious entities that cause anyone who looks at them to immediately kill themselves. The story follows her journey as she navigates a landscape of fear and survival, ensuring the children remain blindfolded to stay safe from the deadly sight of these beings. The narrative explores the tension of a society fractured by a sudden, terrifying phenomenon, where the only way to survive is to never see the truth of what is lurking in the shadows.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
In a post-apocalyptic world, Malorie Hayes travels with two children in a rowboat, insisting they keep their blindfolds on to avoid entities that cause self-harm upon being seen. The story flashes back five years to the start of the pandemic, where Malorie and her sister, Jessica, witnessed mass suicides and a mysterious entity that drove Jessica to madness. Malorie eventually finds refuge with a group of survivors, including Tom, who helps her hide. The group faces internal and external threats, including a man named Gary who intentionally exposes others to the entities. After a violent confrontation where several members are killed, Malorie and Tom survive. Five years later, they live together with the children. Upon hearing of a safe community, they travel by boat down a river. During the journey, they are attacked by unblindfolded survivors. Tom sacrifices himself to ensure Malorie and the children reach safety. They eventually arrive at a former school for the blind, where Malorie reunites with her doctor and names the children Tom and Olympia.
- First release year
- 2018
- Runtime (minutes)
- 124
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Susanne Bier
- Writers
- Eric Heisserer · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- Sandra Bullock · Malorie Hayes; Trevante Rhodes; Jacki Weaver; Rosa Salazar; Danielle Macdonald; Lil Rel Howery; Tom Hollander; Colson Baker; BD Wong; Pruitt Taylor Vince; Sarah Paulson; John Malkovich · Douglas
- Genres
- post-apocalyptic; horror; thriller; science fiction
- Themes
- survival; maternal protection; fear of the unknown
- Tone and mood
- chilly; tense
- Setting
- A post-apocalyptic world, including a house, a river, and a forest.
- Premise and plot tags
- post-apocalyptic; horror; thriller; survival
- Source material / true-story basis
- 2014 novel by Josh Malerman
- Content notes
- suicide
- Reception
- The film received mixed reviews from critics, though it was highly successful on Netflix, becoming one of the most-watched films on the platform.
- Reported review scores
- Metacritic · score: 51 · scale: 100 · review count: 26
- Production trivia
- The film used live birds during filming.; The film was originally intended to use footage from the Lac-Mégantic rail disaster.; A spin-off sequel, Bird Box Barcelona, was released in 2023.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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