If you’ve finished Bird Box and have questions about the ending or some of the aspects during the movie, here’s a deep dive into the ending, how it compares with the book and some theories thrown in for good measure too.
Taking cues from the book, the story is about the main character Mallory and her journey rather than the reasoning behind the apocalypse, very similar to another movie that came out this year, How it Ends. The focus is on the people experiencing the situation, not the situation itself.
Who/what is turning people crazy?
The problem was first documented in Romania which then spread throughout Europe and then into Russia.
At first, the news anchors speculated that it was either pathological or viral as in disease. The same was also suggested by Douglas (played by John Malkovich) in the house suggesting it could be a bio-weapon.
The best theory comes from Charlie (played by Lil Rel Howery) when he refers back to his internet research saying it’s somewhat biblical.
He refers to the event as the end-game saying that humanity is being judged. He goes onto say “You got world religion and mythology that’s full of mentions of demons or spirit creatures. People who’ve seen these creatures almost always describe their encounter as this as with an entity that takes on a form of your worst fears or your deepest sadness or your greatest loss.”
Why were some people affected differently by seeing the creature?
As you know, there were two reactions. The most common reaction is that the eyes would go grey and they’d then either talk to themselves about a lost loved one or scream, but ultimately always commit suicide.
The other reaction is that it turned people really happy making them want to get everyone else to see the creatures. These people were mentally different, kept in asylums and prisons, as we heard numerous times throughout. The man locked in the supermarket was said to have had problems and went to prison. We later hear how a bunch of inmates escaped as well.
What happened to Felix (Machine Gun Kelly) and Lucy (Rosa Salazar)?
The most common theory on where Felix and Lucy went with the car is back to the supermarket. Lucy clearly was interested in Doug’s idea of staying put in the grocery store.
What does the creature look like?
While it doesn’t have an individual form as such, the closest you’re going to get to actually seeing the creature is through the pictures Greg drew.
As suggested above, it didn’t have a form as such. Rather it took on multiple appearances depending on the person.
Greg with his drawings on the table – Screenshot captured on Netflix
The creatures did have a physical effect on the world, however. These developments grow more prominent as the movie progresses. It’s extremely loud, it’s able to take on voices of people you know, and take away gravity in a wind-like form.
Interestingly, the book doesn’t have the creature causing wind as it does in the movie. This was likely a visual ploy to make it look like they were being chased by something rather than nothing.
Why did Mallory not name her children until the end?
The first few scenes of the movie explain that she struggles to connect with people. Given that most people end up dying, Mallory decided to only refer to their genders and only when she knows they’re safe (when they get to the refuge) does she name the children. The girl is named after her mother and Mallory’s son is named Tom.
What questions do you have from the movie? Let us know in the comments down below.
Netflix Synopsis: "One of Netflix's biggest movies of all time, Bird Box sees the world ravaged by a mysterious force and we follow a group of survivors."
