By now you’ve no doubt heard of Netflix’s Bird Box and chances are you’ve wondered if you should add it to your watch list. According to the movie’s star Sandra Bullock, all moms can relate to this thrilling journey, but can you really handle your worst mom fears come true on screen?
In the post-apocalyptic world of Bird Box, Bullock plays a mom who must lead her kids away from danger when a mysterious force suddenly appears on Earth, forcing people to commit suicide. Yes, it’s pretty dark, and possibly hard to watch if you’re sensitive to stories that involve kids in danger, as many moms are. Bullock explains that the premise is all part of motherhood.
Photo: Courtesy of Netflix
“As a mom, you think those thoughts, it’s just a part of your makeup,” Bullock told Variety. “Every mom will look at this and go, ‘That river is my journey as a parent.’”
Susanne Bier, director of Bird Box, echoed Bullock’s sentiments, explaining, “I’ve always felt that motherhood is mainly defined by men and for many hundreds of years is automatically thought of as being soft, caring, naturally nurturing, calm. There are a lot of things that are part of our idealized vision of motherhood, but I always thought it was much more complex, much more ferocious.”
Parents on social media have mixed feelings about watching. Some have said they felt too stressed out while trying to watch, while others love it. All seem to agree that the movie really is all about parenthood although, in a somewhat different way.
As one mom hilariously points out, the really scary part is how much the fictional movie mimics real life for some moms by providing proof that kids never listen. “Although there’s more murder and death in Bird Box it truly parallels a day in the life of parents with children from a school holiday,” says Meredith Masony of That’s Inappropriate.
Other moms think that the Bird Box challenge, a trending internet challenge based on the movie, is also the perfect solution to the messy side of motherhood. Comedians Leeann Dearing and Michelle Fortin have created their own, safe version of the challenge called Mom Box and even if you choose not to watch the real movie, this funny parody video will give you the same thrills.
We’re honestly not sure which one is scarier—this spoof or the original movie itself. Bird Box is currently available for streaming on Netflix.
—Shahrzad Warkentin
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