The popular streaming service, Netflix, recently released a number of original movies that have sent shockwaves throughout the world. However, their most recent movie, Bird Box, starring Sandra Bullock, is what everyone is talking about. It is a psychological thriller that has been the subject of recent memes, talk shows and even a ‘Bird Box Challenge’ has sprung from it. The movie was watched by over 26 million people within the first week of it’s release. Bird Box has drawn comparisons between itself and recent other psychological thrillers like A Quiet Place. However, in A Quiet Place, instead of the characters being forced to take away their sense of sight, they could not speak throughout the duration of the movie.
Bird Box takes place in the future and tells the story of a group of people desperately trying to survive a paranormal force that is taking over their city. In order to survive, they must not look outside, for the creature takes the shape of their worst fear, and leads them to commit suicide.
They make the decision to cover all the windows in the house and use blindfolds as an extra layer of protection in order to shield themselves from seeing the creature. The timeline of the movie is over five years, and during this long stretch of time, there are many hurdles that they are forced to jump over and many deaths they are forced to watch. By the end, only Malorie Hayes, the character played by Bullock, and her kids named Boy and Girl are left. They take a treacherous journey through rapids to eventually find a safe haven, which as they find out, is a school for the blind who are not affected by such creatures.
Throughout the entire movie, the viewer is on edge with the question of when will they finally see these creatures. However, they never do, and for good reason. In Bullock’s recent interview with Popsugar, she explained that at one point they filmed a scene wherein the creatures were shown. However, they were extremely humorous and the intent of the movie was not to be a comedy so they cut the entire scene out.
One adverse effect of the movie has been named as the “Bird Box Challenge.” This involves a person voluntarily putting on a blindfold for a period of time, almost as if they were living in a town that the creatures took over. People post videos of them doing the challenge on Youtube in order to provide others with a laugh and the hopes of getting millions of views.
However, recently, there was one Bird Box challenge that ended extremely badly. A 17 year-old from Utah crashed her car when she was driving blindfolded on the highway. Her drive ended with her hitting another car and a light pole as her car predictably left the lane she was in. This crash and many other situations like it that have arisen from individuals participating in the challenge serve as a warning to others seeking an adrenaline rush.
While many see it solely as a psychological thriller, the movie had a deeper meaning that one can find if they try. The movie teaches us all a lesson about what matters most in life and how many parents would be willing to risk their lives to save their kids from monsters who tried to end life as we know it. They also left many on edge the whole movie who were waiting to see what they looked like. Bird Box captured the attention of millions across the world, all hoping that this paranormal occurrence stays on the big screen.
