It’s the Booze Talkin’; Bird Box hit will bring more horror to Netflix!

Last Updated on July 21, 2021

A few months back, I had the chance to  see BIRD BOX in a screening room in conjuncture with the film’s press interviews. A few days before I actually watched the movie, the dialogue I had heard from a couple of random critics wasn’t terribly positive. And then I caught it, and frankly, it was better than I had expected – you can check out my official review here. One of the best things about the film of course is the exceptional cast. Sandra Bullock and Trevante Rhodes bring depth to their “mother” and “father” roles. Even the young actors led around wearing a blindfold do a nice job, so you have to credit both Julian Edwards and Vivien Lyra Blair. As well, John Malkovich and Sarah Paulson offer nice support – even if Paulson is in the movie for maybe five minutes, which was quite disappointing to this viewer. Either way, this weird little horror/thriller/sci-fi/mystery ultimately worked.

My initial reaction to the film was that it would do alright and probably disappear into the menus of Netflix – where the film can currently be seen. In fact, even with the name power of Sandra Bullock, a movie that kinda sorta resembles something like the past years’ A QUIET PLACE won’t change the world in any possible way. And while I did like the film, other critics weren’t always terribly kind as the movie is currently sitting at a mixed 62% on RT. Hell, even the audience approval for that very site is only slightly higher with a 64% positive score. However, weeks after the film’s streaming premiere – it had one week in select theatres before then – it managed to do something that I don’t think was expected. BIRD BOX spread its wings to become the most watched feature on the channel with 45,037,125 Netflix subscribers tuning in. And then came the memes!

As far as Netflix is concerned, there have been a number of high profile films that the channel has featured. Recently they’ve offered Kurt Russell as St. Nick in THE CHRISTMAS CHRONICLES. Alfonso Cuarón’s highly praised, Oscar contender ROMA – which won two Golden Globes – brings a bit of class to the channel. And even The Coen Brothers gave fans something to hoot and holler for with THE BALLAD OF BUSTER SCRUGGS. Yet it was a movie about a woman and two kids floating down the river in search of sanctuary that really brought in fans. Was is simply the star power of Ms. Bullock? Or did a quiet little scary flick about monsters driving folks to their demise feel like the perfect after holiday fix? Either way, with the film’s success, I cannot imagine that the channel won’t be looking to bring more original genre material to the small screen.

One of the appeals of horror is simply that filmmakers ofter times do a lot with limited resources. Generally speaking, horror films don’t cost a ton to make and since Netflix hasn’t quite found its niche when it comes to original movies, perhaps horror is a good direction to go. After all, look at the impressive partnership Mike Flanagan has had with not only the series The Haunting of Hill House, he has also given us the creepy Netflix features' GERALD’S GAME, HUSH and BEFORE I WAKE. In fact, we are seeing quite a bit more when it comes to creep factor there including Gareth Evans THE APOSTLE, as well as a revamped – and edgier – Sabrina the Teenage Witch with The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina. With as much success as many of these examples have had, it is BIRD BOX that will likely inspire more filmmakers to head to the streaming goliath.

The good and bad of it all is that with the film’s success, we are likely to see more superstar names coming to the dark side for a little genre excursion. As well, there is a very good chance that we are going to be seeing other filmmakers attempting to cash in on the cinematic bird epidemic. Whenever a film finds this level of excitement and popularity, there are more than a few folks trying to figure out how to recreate its success. Aside from a damn near guarantee that filmmaker Susanne Bier and writer Eric Heisserer will be considered for a sequel, there will be others looking for that magic hit making formula. The good news is that the channel is most certainly going to be featuring a ton of high profile horror. And the bad news… it is certainly going to be featuring more high profile horror. Hopefully, we will get more of the good kind as opposed to the bad.

Maybe it’s the booze talkin’ but BIRD BOX will bring more high profile horror to Netflix. While the channel has certainly featured solid original genre programming before, Sandra Bullock wearing a blindfold, carrying a box of birds, clearly has grabbed audiences attention. Whether you liked it or not – and their are certainly a few that found the chirping all for nothing – we are likely to see more and more scary stories heading to the small screen. Personally, I’m mostly excited for the prospect. While it is always fun to see a horror flick with an audience, it can also be great to sit back, make some popcorn and turn on the television to see something fresh and original. Are you ready for more shocks and spooks from the the fine folks at Netflix?  And now it's your turn… What did you think of the birds and the Bullock? Share your thoughts in the comments section below!