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Why ‘Bird Box’ is So Polarizing

Anyone who’s been on the internet in the last month has probably heard of the movie, Bird Box. The Netflix Original has gained massive media attention in the recent weeks, but why? Why is Bird Box so popular? The film has certainly created a divide between viewers. No matter how good the movie may be, there is something special about this holiday thriller.

The plot of Bird Box surrounds the idea of demonic creatures; If you see them, you die. This idea, although similar to the plot of other horror/thriller movies, opens the door for this film to be full of suspense and keeps viewers on the edge of their seat the entire time. Specific sequences within the film have huge shock factor and keeps viewers invested what is going on, and what is happening to the characters.

Ryan Knobel, Bird Box viewer, enjoyed the suspense.

“The movie was very suspenseful. We never knew what they were looking at and this added suspense to the unknown.”

The movie also has a likeable cast, specifically a lead like Sandra Bullock. Other notable cast members include John Malkovich, Machine Gun Kelly, and Trevante Rhodes.
Each character within the film offered a different personality. This allows for multiple types of people to connect to at least one character within the film. All the ingredients were there for a terrifying thrill ride.

Unfortunately, while the movie is immensely suspenseful and entertaining to watch, Bird Box makes a few fatal flaws that prevent it from being a good film. Easily the biggest problem with Bird Box is its commitment to being vague, which dramatically affects the final product. Nicholas DeLucia, viewer of the movie, wanted more from the film.

“I really wanted to see what the creature looked like,” said DeLucia. “but the movie never showed them.”
No one likes it when a movie intentionally hides information or does not properly explain story details. Bird Box does both of these. Within the film, the main antagonist is hidden the entire runtime. There are hints during the film that suggest the demonish entity would be revealed at some point during the runtime, but the creatures are never revealed and the viewer is left without an answer. When a story intentionally hides important information, the viewer leaves with an unsatisfied mindset.
“There was little character development. When something happened to the characters I truly did not care,” said DeLucia.

Character development is another issue with Bird Box. While there are a few decent characters, virtually no emotional attachment offered. So when a character is killed, the viewer feels less of an emotion and instead, shock factor.

Vinny Zheng, a friend of DeLucia’s, has yet to see Bird Box.

“I have not seen the move yet but I think everyone is watching it because of the memes,” said Zheng. The film has had a massive impact on social media. Not only consulting in a surplus of incredible memes, but also ridiculous games like the Bird Box Challenge. The Bird Box Challenge consists of people putting blindfolds on, performing ridiculous activities, and posting it online. The challenge only adds to the popularity of the film. Netflix even had to make a statement on the challenge.

“Can’t believe I have to say this, but: Please do not hurt yourselves with this bird box challenge,” stated Netflix on Twitter. The movie has gained such a high amount of exposure simply by existing. In a nutshell, people are watching Bird Box because other people are watching it.

Bird Box is easily one of the most successful films in Netflix’s history. If you believe the film is good or not, there is no denying the popularity of the film. Whether it’s for the suspense, the characters, or the memes, Bird Box has certainly garnered up a large amount of attention.