The 2018 post-apocalyptic thriller film Bird Box, directed by Susanne Bier and starring Sandra Bullock, was filmed primarily along the Smith River in northern California. The pristine wilderness of the Smith River proved to be an ideal filming location to capture the eerie, isolated feeling required by the movie’s plot.
Bird Box is set in a near-future world where mysterious creatures have invaded Earth, causing people who see them to violently kill themselves. The protagonists, Malorie and her two children, must make a treacherous river journey blindfolded in order to reach sanctuary. Filming on location along an unspoiled river provided the perfect backdrop for this tense sequence. But what river did the filmmakers choose for this crucial part of the movie?
About Bird Box
Bird Box is based on the 2014 novel of the same name by Josh Malerman. The story follows Malorie, played by Sandra Bullock, as she flees with her two young children down a river in search of safety. To avoid seeing the creatures that have overrun the world and drive people who glimpse them insane, Malorie and the children must travel blindfolded. Their river passage leads them through beautiful but treacherous terrain, creating palpable drama and tension.
Importance of the River Setting
The river journey is central to both the plot and themes of Bird Box. The winding, rushing river echoes the idea of the winding road Malorie must travel metaphorically as she learns to trust others and embrace motherhood. The river also provides a strong visual symbol of the characters being disconnected from society and making their way blindly into a dangerous new world. Choosing the perfect river to depict on screen was likely very important to the filmmakers.
Filming Location
The river where Bird Box was filmed is the Smith River in Northern California. The Smith River runs for about 200 miles through the coastal mountains and forests near the Oregon border before emptying into the Pacific Ocean. It flows through the Smith River National Recreation Area, marked by striking cliffs, canyons, and forests.
Unspoiled Beauty
The Smith River is known for its pristine beauty and biodiversity. It flows through an area that has no major development along its banks and remains completely undammed along its entire length. This gives the river a wild, natural appeal perfect for the isolated feeling required by Bird Box. Parts of the river can only be accessed by boat, adding to the sense of it being far removed from human civilization.
Challenging Filming Conditions
While beautiful, the untouched wilderness of the Smith River also made filming challenging at times. Accessing filming locations along the banks was difficult due to the lack of roads in the area. All equipment and crew had to be transported to the river by boat each day. The weather also complicated filming, as the area is known for heavy rainfall that caused the river to swell and made outdoor shoots harder on some days.
Specific Filming Locations
Within the sprawling length of the Smith River, there were two main areas used for Bird Box filming:
The Middle and North Forks
A 23-mile stretch of the middle and north forks of the river within the Smith River National Recreation Area was one key filming location. This area is lined with limestone cliffs and filled with rapids, perfect for the hazardous river passage depicted in the film. Major scenes of Malorie and the children floating blindfolded in a boat were shot on this part of the river.
The Smith River Estuary
The estuary where the Smith River meets the Pacific Ocean was another vital filming site. This wide, shallow mouth of the river was used for scenes involving Malorie and other characters preparing boats and gear for their fateful river journey. The estuary provided access to the ocean and distant forested hills surrounding the river’s end point.
How the River Location Affected Filming
The natural beauty and challenges of the Smith River directly shaped several aspects of how Bird Box was filmed:
Visuals
The striking vistas of cliffs, rapids, and forests provided breathtaking natural visuals that heighten the impact of Bird Box. They created a vivid, textured backdrop unlike any manmade set.
Cinematography
The camerawork for the river scenes was highly complex, involving helicopters, drones, rafts, and underwater rigs to fully capture the danger and beauty of the location. The remote terrain made this challenging.
Performances
Actors said the authenticity of being on the remote river helped them connect more deeply with the isolation and fear experienced by their characters. The conditions clearly had an impact on their performances.
Logistics
Transporting cast, crew, and gear to the remote riverside settings required extensive planning and effort. The production team went to great lengths to minimize their impact on the pristine natural areas used.
Selecting the Smith River
So why did the filmmakers choose the Smith River as their key filming site over any other river in the country? A few likely reasons:
Geography
The river’s winding path through varied terrain provided visual interest and scope for an epic on-screen journey. Its proximity to the ocean also made sense for the story’s endpoint.
Scenic Beauty
The Smith River is simply breathtaking, with scenery unlike anywhere else. Its untouched wilderness perfectly matched the creators’ vision for the film’s tone and world.
Isolation
The lack of development along the Smith enhanced its sense of isolation from civilization. This was critical for conveying the remoteness of the characters’ river passage.
Difficulty
The rough conditions on the Smith River added to the sheer challenge of the journey, heightening the stakes and tension for the characters.
Symbolism
A winding river flowing through varied terrain provided rich visual symbolism that mirrored the film’s themes of a winding journey into the unknown future.
Conclusion
Bird Box needed a river that was visually stunning yet emotionally haunting, isolated yet challenging – and the filmmakers found their perfect match in the Smith River. Winding through the remote forests and canyons of Northern California, the untamed Smith River gave Bird Box an authentic sense of place and played a central role in bringing the movie’s themes and perilous journey to life on screen. From the wild rapids to the forested estuary, this unspoiled natural location left an unmistakable imprint on the gripping post-apocalyptic thriller.