![]() In an article for Psychology Today, mental-health clinician Shainna Ali suggested that prefacing "Bird Box" with mental-health trigger warnings might be helpful.īut as Ali wrote, some viewers see how society deals with mental health as the underlying monster in the movie.Īli wrote, "Some hidden messages could be gathered as well, such as the inability for others to see the problem and the subsequent tendency to minimize the gravity of the problem." "Bird Box" has been roundly criticized for contributing to the already uphill battle faced by people dealing with mental illness. Some viewers said the film villainized people with mental illness and should have had trigger warnings. It's explained in the Bible that the demons' hatred for humans is so potent that, because they do not have the authority to touch us personally, they seek the next best option - trickery in order to achieve a self-destructive humanity." "As for those, like Gary, who are able to look directly at these creatures and are seemingly enslaved by the image, it fits perfectly with the notion of Demons enslaving humans in order to further destroy humans. Those who catch even the slightest glimpse of the 'creatures' are instantly driven mad, swiftly taking their own life, as if the horrific form they see essentially ruins their lives to such an extent that, in order to relieve themselves of such a nightmarish image, the affected are driven to the point of clinging to suicide for salvation from what they'd witnessed. In the film, this theme is painfully evident. "In the Bible, demons are described as creatures so conceptually foul and inherently 'incorrect' that humans would simply go mad had they ever been subject to directly looking at such an impossibly horrid entity. An appropriate label for these creatures are Fallen Angels or, more commonly, Demons. "Using the hint given to us in the beginning of the movie by Charlie, the creatures were most likely a religion-related plague, brought upon by humanity itself. ![]() Those malevolent creatures love wreaking havoc, and if they can drive humans to harm themselves or each other, so much the better, according to this theory. Some argued that the unseen creatures' characteristics resemble those of demons in the Bible.Īnother possibility is demons. ![]() That's why, no matter what the narrative failings may be, the monsters are consistently praised as the most memorable part of the film." "The most terrifying thing about a Lovecraftian monster isn't their ghastly appearance, but instead their unimaginable power. It's the same effect triggered in Lovecraft's stories by 'Cthulhu' and all the 'Great Old Ones.' We don't know what the creatures in the film look like, we only have the sketches by the character Gary to go on, and that's enough. Starring Sandra Bullock, the film depicts its unseen creatures as supernatural, in one way or another, with an ability to drive insane anyone who sets eyes upon them. "The monsters in 'Bird Box' implement Lovecraftian elements differently, but no less obviously. But if you're at all familiar with Lovecraft's works, there's no way to watch this film and miss that Lovecraftian influence. Lovecraft, who is regarded as one of the most significant 20th-century authors of horror, he's definitely no scholar of his works. Josh Malerman, the author of the 2014 novel the movie is based on, has said that while he's read and appreciates H.P. Lovecraft wrote novels including "The Rats in the Walls," "The Call of Cthulhu," and "At the Mountains of Madness." Seemingly in agreement, Dani Di Placido wrote for Forbes, "it's pretty clear from the outset that this film is about the psychological struggle of parenthood. Because if you think parenting is tough, try doing it blindfolded." Ian Sandwell wrote for Digital Spy: "Largely though, like the book, Bird Box isn't concerned with exposition about what the force is and is more about Malorie learning to accept she's a parent, along with all the fears that comes with in a post-apocalyptic world. Is not naming them meant to protect them or to keep herself from getting too attached and having something terrible happen? We'll never know. Only when Malorie believes they're safe does she feel that she can take this more conventional step. Malorie (Sandra Bullock) is a fierce mother to children she hasn't even named through most of the movie - she opts to call them Boy and Girl.Īlthough we're able to observe that she thinks she's doing her best to protect them, most people give their children names of some sort.Įventually, Malorie does this as well - but not until they arrive at the Janet Tucker School for the Blind and run into Dr. In the film, Malorie (Bullock) has to protect two children. Account icon An icon in the shape of a person's head and shoulders.
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