Netflixs new post-apocalyptic horror film “Bird Box” is the talk of the internet. The film has spawned a plethora of lighthearted memes and critique regarding its portrayal of mental illness.
One of the biggest questions were left with after watching the movie: Whats it really all about? Advertisement
It might be a nod to the works of H.P. Lovecraft.
Josh Malerman, the author of the 2014 novel the movie is based on, has said that while hes read and appreciates H.P. Lovecraft, who is regarded as one of the most significant 20th-century authors of horror, hes definitely no scholar of his works. But if youre at all familiar with Lovecrafts works, theres no way to watch this film and miss that Lovecraftian influence.
As Narayan Liu wrote for CBR:
“Lovecraftian elements are applied differently, but no less obviously, by the monsters in Bird Box.” The movie, which stars Sandra Bullock, portrays its invisible creatures as supernatural in some manner and has the power to make anyone who sees them go insane. The Lovecraftian tales of Cthulhu and the other Great Old Ones have the same effect. We only have the character Gary’s drawings to go on, so we don’t know what the creatures in the movie look like.
“A Lovecraftian monster’s unfathomable strength, not their horrifying appearance, is what makes them so terrifying.” Bird Box places that front and center. Because of this, the monsters are constantly cited as the most memorable aspect of the movie, regardless of any narrative flaws. ” Advertisement.
It could be about the fears that come with becoming a parent.
For the majority of the film, Malorie (Sandra Bullock) is a strong mother to two children she hasn’t even given names to: Boy and Girl.
Most people name their children something, even though we can see that she’s trying her hardest to keep them safe.
Malorie eventually follows suit, but not until they get to the Janet Tucker School for the Blind and meet Dr. Lapham (Parminder Nagra) again. Malorie doesn’t feel comfortable taking this more traditional step until she is certain they are safe. Who knows? Maybe it’s to keep herself from becoming overly attached and ruining things, or maybe it’s just to protect them?
Ian Sandwell wrote for Digital Spy: “Largely though, like the book, Bird Box isnt concerned with exposition about what the force is and is more about Malorie learning to accept shes a parent, along with all the fears that comes with in a post-apocalyptic world. Because if you think parenting is tough, try doing it blindfolded.”
Seemingly in agreement, Dani Di Placido wrote for Forbes, “its pretty clear from the outset that this film is about the psychological struggle of parenthood. ” Advertisement
It could all be an allegory for the careless way in which some people tend to deal with mental-health issues.
“Bird Box” has been roundly criticized for contributing to the already uphill battle faced by people dealing with mental illness. In an article for Psychology Today, mental-health clinician Shainna Ali suggested that prefacing “Bird Box” with mental-health trigger warnings might be helpful.
However, as Ali noted, some viewers perceive the movie’s underlying monster to be the way society views mental health.
According to Ali, “There are a few other subliminal messages [in Bird Box] that could be deduced, like the difficulty for others to recognize the issue and the ensuing propensity to downplay how serious the issue is.” “.
It doesn’t make significant problems go away to act as though they don’t exist, such as the stigmas associated with mental illness and the issues surrounding mental health.
In a post for Mashable, writer Jess Joho critiqued “Bird Box” for villainizing people with mental illnesses. She wrote, “Instead of killing themselves in gratuitously gory ways like all the normal characters, people with mental illnesses become literal agents of evil, obsessed with carrying out the monsters mission to destroy humanity.”
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