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Bird Box

Bird Box

Never lose sight of survival

2018124 minRMidcredits score: 62nd percentile of all films
Director
Susanne Bier
Starring
Sandra Bullock, Trevante Rhodes, John Malkovich, Sarah Paulson

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

Where to watch

Where can I watch Bird Box?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists Bird Box streaming on Netflix.

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Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about Bird Box?

Bird Box earns 10 badges, led by Cultural touchstone and Top 10% in Horror.

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  • Rank
  • Reception
  • Craft and mood
  • Awards and box office
  • Cast

Reception

Is Bird Box worth watching?

Bird Box's Midcredits score is the 62nd percentile of all films, from 1.8M ratings across 6 sources. 58% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

62nd percentile

Better received than 62% of films

93rd percentile among Horror62nd percentile among 2010s
Acclaim (how much people like it)59th
Approval (how many liked it)63rd

64 /100

59th percentile of all films

92nd percentile among Horror59th percentile among 2010s

Critics 51 · Audience 65

Audiences liked it more than critics did.

Rating distribution

A broad spread centered near 6.6 — solid but not unanimous.

58% liked it

63rd percentile of all films

90th percentile among Horror64th percentile among 2010s
58% rated it 7–1042% rated it 1–6

Critics 64% · Audience 58%

On Rotten Tomatoes, a bigger share of critics approved than audiences.

Awards

0 Oscars won · 0 Oscar noms · 6 wins / 9 noms overall

99th percentile

1.8M ratings across platforms

99th percentile among Horror99th percentile among 2010s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 11% in 30 days

Box office

Budget$20M

What reviewers say

Common ground

A slickly-produced apocalypse thriller with an intriguing monster that goes unexplained.

Fans praised

  • Sandra Bullock's committed performance as a hardened mother
  • sustained tension and dread through unseen threat
  • effective use of flashback structure to build mystery

Detractors panned

  • plot holes and unanswered questions about the entities
  • illogical survival sequences like navigating rapids blindfolded
  • anticlimactic ending with no payoff

What stands out

ActingDivisive73

Bullock praised as tough and vulnerable; some say overacting

AtmosphereDivisive65

taut and claustrophobic but hollow for some

TensionDivisive60

unseen creature builds dread but logic breaks it

PacingDivisive55

flashback structure creates uneven tension for some

CharactersDivisive40

Malorie's maternal arc noted but supporting cast are thin

Plot and storyDivisive30

lacks logical coherence, many unanswered questions

EndingDivisive30

unsatisfying and open-ended for most

Originality25

derivative of A Quiet Place and The Happening

Preferred by

Critics vs users

Preferred by Critics

Critics scored it 20 points higher than users.

US vs non-US

Preferred by Non-US Viewers

Non-US viewers scored it 10 points higher than US viewers.

No notable difference between the other groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • Women vs men 8 points apart
  • Under-30s vs over-30s 5 points apart

Watch experience

What is Bird Box like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Scary: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you are ready to pay close attention and feel heavy feelings, and you want to be scared.

It is intense and leaves you hopeful. Skip it when you want an easy night or you can only half-watch.

ToneFeelDemandwhat the answer rests onexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

Your full attention and room for heavy feelings.

What it feels like

Scary.

The answer rests on this: Moods
DreadTenseMelancholic
Heaviest: throughout
Register
Brooding: Heavy, inward, weather-beaten.Solemn: Grave and dignified; treats its subject with weight and respect.
Told as
Frame story · 5% of films: A story told inside another — someone is recounting it.Nonlinear · 6% of films: Events shown out of chronological order.
ToneThe film holds its apocalyptic material with solemn gravity and a persistent sense of dread, never undercutting the horror with irony.
The rideSustained atmosphere of unseen menace and sorrow from the opening five years after to the final river journey.
StructureThe film alternates between a present-day river journey and extended flashbacks to the onset of the apocalypse five years earlier.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Hopeful.

HopefulCathartic · 6% of films
Why it leaves you this wayThe conclusion offers a hopeful resolution as Malorie finally names her children and finds a safe haven, providing emotional release after the intense journey.
How it ends · evidence
Bittersweet ending

Story archetype

where it sits among all films
Monster — 21% of films. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of films. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 10% of films. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 4% of films. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 11% of films. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 9% of films. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 13% of films. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 7% of films. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 22% of filmsPredator — 6% of films. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 6% of films. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of films. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 2% of films. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of films. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of films. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of films. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of films. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of films. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of films. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — under 1% of films. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of films. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of films. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of films. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of films. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 4% of films. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 5% of films. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of films. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — 1% of films. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of films. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 2% of films. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — 1% of films. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of films. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — 1% of films. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 4% of films. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of films. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of films. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of films. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 1% of films. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of films. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — 2% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 2% of films. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 2% of films. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 3% of films. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 3% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 5% of films. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of films. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 2% of films. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of films. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 5% of films. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 2% of films. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).MonsterInvasion
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21% (this title): Predator 6% · Tyrant 6% · Invasion 2% (this title) · Oppressive state 2% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent under 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 10%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 4% · Mission 5% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage 1%
  • Voyage 4%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 2% · Survival ordeal 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent 1%
  • Comedy 11%: Romantic comedy 4% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 1%
  • Tragedy 9%: Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% · Corruption arc 2% · Doomed love 2% · Crushed by fate 3%
  • Rebirth 13%: Redemption 3% · Healing 5% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2%
  • No archetype 22%

Overcoming the monster: A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated. · Invasion: An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).

21% of films fit this archetype

Why this archetypeThe film follows a mother's struggle to survive and protect her children from an unseen entity that causes mass suicide by driving people to madness and self-destruction.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 27% of filmsSelf — 22% of filmsPower — 7% of filmsMorality — 16% of filmsSurvival — 15% of filmsSociety — 9% of filmsIdeas — 5% of filmsRomantic love — 15% of filmsMarriage — 2% of filmsFamily bonds — 21% of filmsParenthood — 2% of filmsFriendship — 9% of filmsLoyalty — 4% of filmsIdentity — 14% of filmsComing of age — 5% of filmsAging — under 1% of filmsSelf-worth — 7% of filmsAmbition — 7% of filmsPurpose — 9% of filmsMemory — 3% of filmsObsession — 3% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 2% of filmsCorruption — 3% of filmsGreed — 3% of filmsClass — 3% of filmsOppression — 4% of filmsFreedom — 5% of filmsJustice — 13% of filmsDuty — 2% of filmsRevenge — 4% of filmsGuilt — 3% of filmsRedemption — 6% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — 1% of filmsSacrifice — 4% of filmsBetrayal — 5% of filmsDeception — 9% of filmsSurvival — 17% of filmsWar — 1% of filmsViolence — 4% of filmsMortality — 2% of filmsGrief — 6% of filmsTrauma — 7% of filmsMental illness — 1% of filmsAddiction — 1% of filmsIllness and disability — under 1% of filmsCommunity — 14% of films. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 5% of filmsPrejudice — 3% of filmsDisplacement — 1% of filmsFaith — 3% of filmsTradition vs change — 2% of filmsFame — 3% of filmsLegacy — 4% of filmsFate — 1% of filmsFree will — under 1% of filmsTruth — 4% of filmsHope — 5% of filmsNature — 2% of filmsArt — 4% of filmsTechnology — 1% of filmsSelfSurvival
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27%: Romantic love 15% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% (this title) · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% · Loyalty 4%
  • Self 22%: Identity 14% · Coming of age 5% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 7% · Purpose 9% · Memory 3% · Obsession 3%
  • Power 7%: Power 2% · Corruption 3% · Greed 3% · Class 3% · Oppression 4% · Freedom 5%
  • Morality 16%: Justice 13% · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% · Redemption 6% · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% · Betrayal 5% · Deception 9%
  • Survival 15% (this title): Survival 17% (this title) · War 1% · Violence 4% · Mortality 2% · Grief 6% · Trauma 7% (this title) · Mental illness 1% · Addiction 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 9%: Community 14% · Isolation 5% · Prejudice 3% · Displacement 1% · Faith 3% · Tradition vs change 2% · Fame 3% · Legacy 4%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% · Hope 5% · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Survival

SurvivalTrauma · 7% of filmsFamily bonds
Warns its theme: Presents its theme as a danger or a coming cost.Global stakes: Consequences reach the world.Single lead
How it treats its themeThe film is fundamentally about the struggle to stay alive under an invisible threat, while also dealing with past trauma and protecting one's children.
StanceThe film presents the unseen threat as a warning about the fragility of human sanity and the cost of survival.

The world

ContemporaryDomesticWildernessIn transitHorror supernatural
AmbientOrchestral modernExperimentalForeground music · original score
Settinga post-apocalyptic American suburb and river landscape
MusicThe score uses low drones and harsh textures to evoke the unseen menace.

Content guide

Is Bird Box okay for kids?

R

Bird Box is rated R: “Rated R for violence, bloody images, language and brief sexuality” (MPAA). As of September 28, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at severe (85/100), sexual content at moderate (48/100), language at intense (69/100), drug and alcohol content at moderate (37/100) and frightening material at intense (75/100). Overall it is heavier than 67% of R-rated films.

Ratings in 21 other countries
  • UK15
  • Canada14A
  • AustraliaMA15+
  • Germany16
  • France16
  • Ireland15
  • JapanR18+
  • South Korea15
  • Brazil16
  • Argentina16
  • Denmark15
  • ItalyVM14
  • Netherlands16
  • Norway15
  • Poland16
  • PortugalM/16
  • RO18
  • SingaporeM18
  • Spain16
  • Taiwan限制級
  • VNC18
Overall
Intense · all five categories
Heavier than 80% of all filmsHeavier than 67% of R-rated films
Violence & Gore
Severe
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 73%
Sex & Nudity
Moderate · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 49%
Profanity
Intense
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 54%
Alcohol & Drugs
Moderate
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 41%
Frightening / Intense
Intense · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 72%

Point along a line to see a well-known title at that level.

The reason to think twice is violence, frightening material, and language. Everything else sits at or below what R-rated films usually carry.

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other films that have them.

What content warnings does Bird Box have?

MovieCove's classifier found 5 depicted content warnings in Bird Box: Gore or body horror (severe), Suicide (severe), Self-harm (moderate), plus 2 withheld here because they would spoil the plot. Each is backed by a verbatim quote from the parents' guide notes; a missing warning is not a guarantee of absence.

SevereGore or body horrorSuicide
ModerateSelf-harm

Cast and crew

Who is in Bird Box?

Cast

2 of the cast already had the standing of a top-10% working actor.

Sandra Bullock
as Malorie
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Trevante Rhodes
as Tom
Rising: A short career with a standing when this film came out above the median working actor today.
John Malkovich
as Douglas
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Sarah Paulson
as Jessica
Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Jacki Weaver
as Cheryl
Rosa Salazar
as Lucy
Rising: A short career with a standing when this film came out above the median working actor today.
Danielle Macdonald
as Olympia
Lil Rel Howery
as Charlie
newcomer then · star now
Tom Hollander
as Gary
Veteran: 15 or more years in, with as much work as the typical long-career actor.
Colson Baker
as Felix

Crew

More like this

What are movies like Bird Box?

Movies like Bird Box include Bird Box: Barcelona (2023), Breathe (2024) and A Quiet Place (2018). Of the 12 closest matches, two are films written by Eric Heisserer, and most are sci-fi films.

Balanced: every group counts the same, and production only breaks ties.

10 of these 12 share its world: post-apocalyptic. Those cards say what else they share.

Explore by

What else shares a premise, people or place with Bird Box?

547 other films share the rarest tag below, kind of film: post apocalyptic. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.