Coming out right around the same time as the fantastic A QUIET PLACE, this similarly themed end-of-the-world tale has civilization ending by an unseen terror that once someone sees "it" they immediately commit suicide. Much like A QUIET PLACE, it's the story of a parent, Sandra Bullock, trying to protect her kids (and yes, yes, I know BIRD BOX was a book before either of these films was made). Unlike A QUIET PLACE, this film shows the breakdown of civilization from the beginning, with Bullock and a group of survivors hold up in a secure house. What disappoints in BIRD BOX is that despite the clever concept of having to navigate the world blindfolded or die, everything else is horribly cliched. The survivors bicker, and feature all the usual stereotypes, though the standard grouch character everyone hates is played by the excellent John Malkovich. They have to deal with the predictable challenges of rationing supplies and eventually having to leave their secure compound to restock (that part is actually the best part of the film). BIRD BOX does get more interesting and more original once Bullock strikes out on her own with her kids and the film does have a solidly clever ending, but the cliches at the outset and the film's overall inferiority to A QUIET PLACE hurt the overall experience.