Bird Box

In a world where the rules of survival are dictated by the very presence that threatens to destroy it, hope is a luxury few can afford. The film Bird Box, directed by Susanne Bier and based on the bestselling novel by Josh Malerman, brings to life a dark and harrowing tale of survival, love, and the human spirit's refusal to be extinguished. The movie takes place in a post-apocalyptic world where an unseen entity has taken over, driving those who encounter it to madness and ultimately, to taking their own lives. The main character, Malorie Hayes (played by Sandra Bullock), is a young widow, struggling to keep her two children, Tom ( Julian Edwards) and Girl (Vivien Lyra Blair), safe from this unknown menace. The kids, aged about five and six, are of course oblivious to the horrors that have ravaged their world, still holding onto memories of their father, who they believed had simply abandoned them. Malorie, rugged and resourceful, must navigate the unforgiving landscape of a post-apocalyptic world, keeping one critical aspect of survival in mind – her children's well-being. They traverse dense forests, seemingly abandoned towns, and wrecked highways, constantly on the lookout for signs of this entity, often portrayed as a presence that defies the imagination, seemingly able to touch minds and ignite suicidal tendencies in those within its vicinity. In the film's opening scenes, Malorie's sister, Lucy (Sarah Paulson), and a group of survivors struggle to comprehend the nature of this entity and their efforts to establish a new community. Lucy's story is one of desperation, questioning the rules and morality that govern her actions. She comes across a blind man (John Malkovich) who leads a blindfolded group of survivors. The concept Malorie picks up from this idea -where vision blinds people to reality in an unseen way- is pivotal for the storyline development in the movie. Malorie finds herself struggling to determine whether this stranger's group might be a path to survival and a means to eventually reach the sanctuary of a supposed resistance group. That is when she becomes en route, knowing her chance to protect her children hangs by a thread - it doesn't matter if by taking her life alongside, or losing one of her kids to the unknown presence. Guiding her group, also on a perilous journey in complete darkness due to the guidance she derived from this group, they rely on her for protection, shelter, and her strong desire to care for her kids. This also turns into a self-challenge for her - considering her inner struggles related to how the suicidal mania must remind her and how she must keep leading her children, though as things seem to unravel, do find her kids safe and living. The further Malorie moves through her odyssey, this realization compels her to become increasingly isolated, as if emotionally detached. It is only once her mission to protect her children in the past reaches a fragile border of becoming 'just' an act to fulfill is that we discover how the memories Malorie has helped to construct, could bring out extraordinary outcomes. Throughout their arduous journey, it is apparent that life after disaster seems to shift very little, Malorie's fierce protecting always holds strong -even until sacrificing some human connection in search of protection. They even avoid dangers such as roads that are plagued by suicidal outcast drivers while they manage treacherous wild thickets. Ultimately, Bird Box depicts the theme of courage: one way to combat it might be fear. As in its end scenes Malorie also ends up her search for safety becoming unheralded success –a point it marks human potential.