Bird box is a Netflix original film released on December 14, 2018, which currently has 2 parts, there might be part 3 as well but it’s not yet confirmed. The first part revolves around the story of a pregnant and emotionally unavailable woman, Malorie, who ultimately finds herself in the midst of an apocalyptic attack by an unknown “Beings”. These beings, when looked at them in plain sight, they will force individuals to commit suicide, leading to a mass killing of the human race. However, these beings, they are invisible until the point of them approaching you. Yet, nobody knows what the victims see after facing them, as they remain invisible to onlookers.

 

Does it have any scientific explanation? Or is it purely a religious thing? Or was it a mysterious creature? Or is it a mix of everything? Well, there's no answer to the question yet.

 

But as I thought about it, I think the film was simply focused on psychology as many questions about the “Thing” was left unexplained, and maybe explanation wasn’t even necessary. With that in mind, maybe we should delve into the deeper meaning and hidden philosophy behind the film.

 

Starting off with the show title, “Bird box”. What does the film have to do with Bird box? It may be confusing at first but as you watch through the show, you will understand the deeper meaning behind the name. If you have already watched you will notice these birds that Malorie adopted and secured it in a “Box” after finding them at the supermarket.

She kept them with her the whole time since then as an ally, a bond grew between them as they seem to have some sort of connection. The birds also did a great job in being her protector since birds and other animals are able to sense the “Being” that came in range.

 

But why such a small part of the story became the film’s name? Because there is actually a lot more to the that, let me tell you why.

 

Some believes that Birds are the messengers of the Gods and heavens, as well as having the ability to fly as a symbolic of new beginnings, hope, and freedom. Birds are often seen as spirited creatures, believed to foretell future events. Their flight is metaphorically associated with the human soul taking flight, symbolizing various emotions and moods. This symbolism leads us to the meaning of "Bird Box."

 

The painting

Do you recall the painting at the film's start? There's a theory suggesting that the film might be based on Malorie's painting, which we see at the beginning. The portrait contains a bunch of people sitting all together in a dark room, yet, they were all looking at their phones, not paying attention to the others in the room. And after a moment of observing the portrait, her sister said “It looks like a whole bunch of people sitting together, but they all look incredibly lonely.”

 

And with that in mind, now you can see why the painting is the base meaning of the film. So basically, the dark room is representative of the box, and the people within it are representative of the birds. The homes are the boxes that the humans are forced to stay, as it was the only place that they are able see within, and the humans along the way are drowned deep within the dark spaces of emotions. They aren’t able to see the light, or the outside world and it’s distractions such as comparison to others through their phones. But by being forced to sit with others, in the darkness of their homes and pay attention to one another, they are finally able to emotionally progress and feel their feelings.

 

And just as when they are outside, needing to have their blindfolds on, they put their trust in the box of birds, to be their eyes for them. This makes them rely on their other senses, such as touch, smell, hearing, taste, and when they can see, their emotions are heightened.

 

As the finale reveals the movies’ intention fully, the questions raised but none are answered. No answer is fully given as to the monster’s true form. Instead, what’s truly important is the protagonist’s changing attitude.

Ultimately, any answers we search for exist solely in our own ability to be accepting of others. Only through this, can we let go of our judgments and our blindfolds.