There is no surprise that the Netflix movie, Bird Box, was viewed more than 45 million times within the first week it was released. Although the movie was shot between two very diverse scenes, it was enjoyable and easy to follow. However, just because the plot was clear, doesn’t mean the underlying themes were easy to dig up and fully comprehend. What if you were told that the tiny details that led up to the most aggravating cliff hanger all had a deeper meaning? One of the reasons why Bird Box seems different than most movies is because the message isn’t completely clear, so it left the audience asking, “What is Bird Box really about?”  

Parenthood, racism, love, fear, mental health, and many other questionable themes feed into the true meaning of the movie. Some even say it’s based on the Book of Revelations. The biggest idea, though, is about the psychological and emotional struggles that come with parenthood. Personally, I was very underwhelmed with that answer because of the large amount of stress and confusion the two-hour film created for me, but after further analyzing, the theme started to make more sense. The movie develops the idea of the extreme measures a parent would take just to protect her kids.

Malorie, played by Sandra Bullock, the main character in the movie, was already having a difficult time acknowledging her pregnancy before all the chaos in the world start to break out. She didn’t know what to expect and was already considering adoption before she went into labor. Once the world started to become affected by the unknown entities that caused people to commit suicide on sight, Malorie ended up in a house with many other survivors. She was forced to bring her baby into the actual end of the world. Once a new mother gives birth to a child, she quickly realizes that her priorities switch to caring about her kid rather than herself. Malorie was different because she had to worry about her own survival as well as her newborn all while keeping her eyes closed.

At the end of it all, Bird Box gives the perfect metaphor each mother faces when bearing a new child into the world. Everyone has their own fear, but the responsibility of being a mom creates the instinct to do anything to keep your kid safe. Whether it’s sending them to their first day of school or trying to protect them from an unknown entity that has wiped out the whole human race, there is nothing that a mother wouldn’t do to protect her own child and I think the movie helped to show that being protective is a completely normal instinct for any mom.