***WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD! READ AT YOUR OWN RISK!***

Film: Bird Box (2018)

MPAA Rating: R

Genre: Drama, Horror, Sci-fi, Thriller

Everyone who saw Percy Jackson’s The Lightning Thief knows it’s a huge risk when Hollywood decides to adapt a film from a novel, especially when it’s as cryptic and thrilling as Josh Malerman’s Bird Box. Adapted by the brilliant mind of director Susanne Bier, this film is everything thrill-seekers wish for in a horror film. Novel-purists, on the other hand, could care less about the gorey flick. Yet unlike said novel-purists, the majority of Bird Box’s viewers haven’t flipped through the novel to know any better but write a shining review on Netflix’s latest feature film. This review does include spoilers, so if you still want to watch the film with fresh eyes, come back and read after you’ve jumped on the bandwagon.

6) TWITTER MEMES

Obviously, we have to start with stating the elephant in the room: the memes. Since the widespread popularizing of social media and internet culture, famous films like Bird Box have been shamelessly promoted online through memes. Whether the comedic posts compare films to Bird Box or photoshop Sandra Bullock to look like a Ninja Turtle, Netflix receives free advertising from every meme posted unbeknownst to the meme’s publisher. Soon after it’s release, Bird Box memes and the #BirdBoxChallenge spread like the dark creature from the film, giving even the director a chuckle while scrolling through her Twitter feed. Yes, they were that hilarious.

Sourced from Twitter

5) CHRISSY TEIGEN LET HER CLAWS OUT

Either online or IRL (in real life), we all love a celeb callout, especially when it involves a Kardashian. Known for her, let’s call them ‘moments,’ Kim Kardashian tends not to the think before she tweets. On New Year’s Day, Kim posted this awful late tweet about seeing Bird Box:

Sourced from Twitter

Chrissy Teigen’s response is priceless and expresses every feeling I have about Kim K’s endless thread of ludicrous social media posts.

4) CRYPTIC, YET ENTICING

Though classified as a horror movie by Netflix, Bird Box is more of a jaw-dropping thriller rather than a bleak slasher film. Yes, there is quite a lot of gore in this flick, yet the cast’s raw, genuine portrayal of the story gives the film more than just a Halloween horror status.

3) OSCAR-WORTHY DIRECTING

According to Variety, Bird Box director Susanne Bier turned the film down the first time she was presented the script. It took her seven years to pick up the film, her explanation of not filming at the time being that 2011’s “political and social atmosphere” was not as threatening or “dystopian relevant.” With help from executive producer and lead actress Sandra Bullock, Bier produced the film using unique directing, such as her extraordinary transitions back and forth between the current time and five years before. The minimalist ways she engulfs the audience into the film is, to be frank, impressive.

2) LAUGHS TO LIGHTEN THE MOOD

The best way to survive the end of mankind itself is to do, say, and be everything you couldn’t before, while still staying alive, of course. Normally, I can only watch a thriller in broad daylight with my dog for emotional support. Surprisingly, I watched the entirety of Bird Box in pitch-black darkness, 40 minutes away from my dogs in Melissa at 2 in the morning. What I’m trying to say is, besides the fact that this film is gorier than all get out, the occasional ‘that’s what she said’ is muttered offscreen or Malorie starts freaking out, making everyone hysterical, myself included.

1) SANDRA BULLOCK!!!

One of the best actresses in the business, Sandra Bullock’s performance in Bird Box honestly blew me away. The way she interpreted the script and portrayed Malorie’s character took my breath away and had me at a loss for words. This type of film, though not Bullock’s normal filmtype, challenged her to break barriers in her acting career and really guide the audience through the movie. I, along with the majority of the world, appreciate Bullock for putting a face to Malorie’s dramatic personality in the film.

Bird Box as a whole was definitely worth a watch. This extravagant feature had me on the edge of my seat the whole 124 minutes, and honestly, I think it changed the way I see horror films. Ever since I watched it, I have excitedly sat through many indie horrors also on Netflix like Seven In Heaven and The Eye. If I were to change anything about the film, I would get rid of that psycho British guy because, let me tell you, he was such a conniving snake who easily could have gotten everyone killed. In terms of attempting the #BirdBoxChallenge like every idiot getting themselves killed for the sake of social media, I will not be doing any such thing. I have a heart rate, and I’d like to keep it, thank you very much. Seriously, DO NOT do the challenge or you could end up like this.