“Bird Box” uncages viral new challenge

Netflix’s new original thriller stars Sandra Bullock as a mother trying to protect two small children while in a post-apocalyptic world, haunted by beings that cause psychotic behavior by nearly anyone who looks. This two hour movie, though fascinating when first released, failed to scare some audiences.

“Bird Box” is an adaptation of author Josh Malerman’s novel, originally published in 2014. The movie broke streaming records in a week of over 45 million people streaming it worldwide. “Bird Box” takes it name from a box of birds that Mallory (Sandra Bullock) carries with her on her journey, which she and the children- who are named Boy and Girl for reasons that become clear later on in the film- must undertake blindfolds to save their very lives.  

“Bird Box” has generated buzz all over social media since it debuted  Friday, Dec. 21, 2018. There have been memes created all over Instagram and Twitter featuring Sandra Bullock with her blindfold on next to the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Not only have these memes been made, a dangerous “Bird Box” challenge has been created. This  consists of people living their everyday lives blindfolded as if they were in the movie. This challenge goes from completing ordinary tasks to extremes as far as driving blindfolded.

“Before I watched it everyone told me that it was scary, and then I got to it and I wasn’t scared at all,” senior  Sara Lonergan said. “Everyone just makes fun of it now.”

The movie cuts back and forth between flashbacks to five years prior as a pregnant Bullock found a small group of people with whom she tries to survive and the present. Bullock tries to  protect the kids while traveling on their journey to what she hopes is safe a colony. Bullock and the kids navigate through insanely dangerous rushing river rapids while blindfolded. She stated in an Ellen interview that over 50 percent of the movie is filmed blindfolded.

“The movie was more suspenseful than it was scary,” senior Adem Kalici said. “I wasn’t necessarily scared, but when it came to those parts of the movie when the beings were there I really felt the suspense kicking in.”

People have created excitement for this movie, but it’s mainly just the hilarious memes and dangerous challenges. “Bird Box” has taken the world by surprise. The directors and editors definitely didn’t know that social media would turn it into something else. Though “Bird Box” broke records, it may be more suspenseful than it is all that scary.