In the terror-stricken Netflix Movie, “Bird Box,” Malorie Hayes (Sandra Bullock) must make a treacherous journey in a post-apocalyptic world across a river with two young children named ‘Boy’ and ‘Girl’ while blindfolded. The film flips back and forth between the past, explaining the beginning stages of the end-of-the-world, and the present, following Malorie and the two children as they make their journey to safety on a small boat.
Malorie is a strong, resilient woman who soon realizes the world is about to change forever for her and her unborn child. There is a sudden mass attack on humans coming from invisible “entities” in the air that, when seen, cause people to have hallucinations and unexpectedly commit suicide. Malorie eventually learns that obstructing any view of the outside world can keep you safe but only to a certain extent.
Throughout the movie, Malorie teaches viewers a lesson in success through perseverance. In the beginning of the film, Malorie barely endures the first wave of chaos in a stranger’s house filled with other frantic survivors. However, when the group makes a risky trip to the grocery store, Malorie comes across some birds who, even amid chaos, remained alive and well, which was a sign of luck or even faith. Even as Malorie faced fear, she had to remain hopeful that there was a meaning to her life.
In order to achieve success, Malorie teaches viewers that they must have a clear vision in mind, courage and hopefulness in order to attain that goal. Not only did Malorie set a goal to stay safe, but she also had to realize why it was important for her to stay alive. To survive in this post-apocalyptic world, Malorie had to set rules along the way, which meant not taking off her blindfold for any reason and trusting no one. Throughout the movie, there were several people who tried to throw Malorie off her path.
While both Marolie and Olympia, another survivor, labored through childbirth, the ‘entities’ entered through the windows and instantly overpowered the entire house. Olympia soon surrenders to the invocations of these mysterious forces and commits suicide. Malorie was then left with the responsibility of caring for two newborns minutes after giving birth.
Just like in Malorie’s life, as circumstances change, different aspects of the goal may change, but the main objective will always remain the same. Malorie learned very quickly, that she had to block out all voices and that she should not trust everyone she comes across. Because of her mindset, she never succumbed to the temptations of these mysterious forces.
Her strength and resilience grew as her life developed. She emotionally detached herself from her children and raised them in a world in which they were taught to never trust anyone for years. Their only companion was a box of birds which provides a sense of trust for them. Malorie kept her mind set on what was in front of her and never let the mysterious forces intimidate her.
She did not let temptation hinder her from getting to her and the children to their own ‘bird box.’ The birds in the film are also an example of eternal life. Even through all of the chaos and temptation, Malorie still managed to stay alive. Her character is also a metaphoric sign of eternal life, as she is one of the few people that withstood living in fear for years and making it to the refuge to live a more fulfilling life.
Malorie was constantly tested and tempted, but never lost sight of her plan and purpose. She allowed her trustworthy ‘birdbox’ along with her natural intuition to guide her on the right path. Anything that is worth gaining, in the end, is never easy and requires hard work.
