It’s now a thing that any movie with a conceit involving the senses will be compared to A Quiet Place.
But maybe that’s a good thing.
Bird Box is Netflix’s latest horror and stars Sandra Bullock in full-on action heroine mode. She plays Malorie, a mother protecting her children from monsters we don’t see. And neither does she — here, opening your eyes appears to expose you to your greatest fears, which in turn make you do questionable things, like slam your head into a glass wall or crash your car, as the first trailer doesn’t hesitate to inform us.
The monsters, referred to as “the creatures” by one of the children, may have something to do with the film’s title, shared by Josh Malerman’s 2014 book on which the movie is based. Both it and this year’s A Quiet Place feature a parent protecting their children in a post-apocalyptic wilderness, the latter proving there’s already an audience for sensory-related horror — it silenced cinemagoers with its horrifying ear creatures attracted to sound.
With a cast including Sarah Paulson, who recently shared the screen with Bullock in Ocean’s 8, and John Malkovich no less, keep your eyes wide open for this one.
Bird Box flies to Netflix on Dec. 21 worldwide.