Reader

I found a my recent watch Bird Box to be incredably fascinating. I watched it last saturday and now reflect on how the horror genre is defined primarily by the emotional effect it aims to arouse. The central convention of any forror film is the presence of a menacing monster that represents a dangerous breach of nature of something wholly unknown to science. In bird box, the monsters fit this exact description, being incomprehensible entities that drive people to madness. I thought the monsters very existence suggests the terrifying limits of human knowledge (what is it that we can’t know?”

I want to talk about aspects of bird box and how it UPDATES traditional horror iconography and conventions. Because the characters must navigate the world hearing blindfolds, the film cannot rely on heavy monster makeup or visuals. Instead it leads on a historical convention in the ‘implied horror’ of hollywood. Much like Val Lewton’s 1940’s film such as the cat people (suggested by my movie enthusiast dylan), bird box achieves it’s terrifying effects “by hints, keeping the monster offscreen and cloaking the sets in darkness”. By forcing offscreen sound and panicked characters to build intense suspense and confirm our revulsion which personally I found a great change of pace.

Finally, I just have to point out the reflectionist approach to genre, which assumes that repeated genre conventions actually reflect a society’s pervasive doubts or anxieties. Just as horror films of teh 1950’s reflected fears of nuclear technology and 1970’s concern how terrible it would be to breakup the ‘American family’ bird box resonates with modern reviewers by reflecting temporary anxieties. By blending the horror film with a family centered survival thriller, the aforementioned pervasive societal fears is channeled about parental resposibility, extreme isolation, and the terrifying prospect of navigating an unpredictable and dangerous world.