Bird Box (2018)

Five years after an ominous unseen presence drives most of society to suicide, a mother and her two children make a desperate bid to reach safety.

Director:

Susanne Bier

Writers:

Eric Heisserer (screenplay), Josh Malerman (novel)

Stars:

Sandra Bullock, Trevante Rhodes, John Malkovich

5 wins & 6 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Sandra Bullock	...	Malorie
Trevante Rhodes	...	Tom
John Malkovich	...	Douglas
Sarah Paulson	...	Jessica
Jacki Weaver	...	Cheryl
Rosa Salazar	...	Lucy
Danielle Macdonald	...	Olympia
Lil Rel Howery	...	Charlie
Tom Hollander	...	Gary
Machine Gun Kelly	...	Felix (as Colson Baker)
BD Wong	...	Greg
Pruitt Taylor Vince	...	Rick
Vivien Lyra Blair	...	Girl
Julian Edwards	...	Boy
Parminder Nagra	...	Dr. Lapham

Storyline

In the wake of an unknown global terror, a mother must find the strength to flee with her children down a treacherous river in search of safety. Due to unseen deadly forces, the perilous journey must be made blindly. Directed by Emmy winner Susanne Bier, Bird Box is a thriller starring Academy Award winner Sandra Bullock, John Malkovich, Sarah Paulson, and Trevante Rhodes.

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Plot Keywords:

suicide | survival | invisible creature | dystopia | supermarket | 

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Taglines:

Never Lose Sight of Survival

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Genres:

Drama | Horror | Sci-Fi

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for violence, bloody images, language and brief sexuality.

Details

Official Sites:

Official Netflix

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

21 December 2018 (USA)

Also Known As:

Bird Box

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Netflix, Chris Morgan Productions, Dylan Clark Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

124 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital Dolby Atmos

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

When Charlie talks to Malorie about his book, he says "it's not one of those kids stories where they all got crossbows and they're killing each other to survive, or running around some giant maze." Rosa Salazar played Brenda in Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials (2015) and Maze Runner: The Death Cure (2018).

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Goofs

Cell phones, televisions, and communication systems stop working the first day Malorie enters the home, but the car's GPS works days later. Cell phones have a range of up to 40 miles, and require towers. Televisions require either a physical cable or a local broadcast tower, either of which could lose power or be turned off. GPS uses satellites 12,000 miles above the earth, sending radio waves that cover the planet. Standalone GPS devices existed before the invention of smartphones. The satellites would need continuous control (currently from Schriever Air Force Base in Colorado, or Vandenberg Air Force Base in California) but it would likely be maintained as a priority by any working remnant of the US Air Force.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Man: [over the radio] We have a place, a compound. We have a community. It's safe here. How many of you are there? Are any of them children? Because, the fastest way to get here is by the river, and I don't think you could make it with kids.

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Crazy Credits

The end credits run nearly 7 minutes.

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Connections

Referenced in The Cinema Snob: A Nightmare on Elm Street 2010 (2019)

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Soundtracks

I Say a Little Prayer
Written by Hal David and Burt Bacharach
Performed by Dionne Warwick
Courtesy of Rhino Entertainment Company
By Arrangement with Warner Music Group Film & TV Licensing

User Reviews

(Mostly) A Bore

After hearing about Bird Box being terrifying, I had to check it out. Unfortunately, I feel pretty let down. I wouldn't say it's a "bad" film - the acting is great and the premise is cool(even if it borrows heavily from The Happening). It's just that it never really reaches its potential.