The monsters in Bird Box have become one of the most intriguing parts of the film. While we never directly see the creatures, only catching glimpses of their shadowy forms, their invisible presence haunts the entire story. The mystery around their appearance has sparked heated fan debate and theorizing. So what were the monsters in Bird Box supposed to look like originally? Let’s analyze the clues within the movie and see what the director and actors have revealed.
Clues about the monsters within the film
Though the monsters are never fully shown, the film provides some clues about their nature:
– They cause people who see them to instantly commit suicide in gruesome ways, implying the creatures are extremely disturbing/frightening in appearance.
– They are fast moving and can quickly overtake humans and invade homes.
– They produce gusts of wind when moving which blow leaves and hair, indicating they are large or have wings.
– Their shadows and shapes are shown briefly as humanoid/animalistic silhouettes.
– They produce unnatural screeching sounds.
So while not directly viewed, these hints suggest the monsters are very physically threatening creatures that generate instant insanity/fear.
What cast and crew have revealed
The director and cast have given some insights into what the creatures may have looked like behind the scenes:
– Director Susanne Bier stated the monsters embodied one’s “worst fears” and that each person would see something different upon viewing them, suggesting they shapeshift.
– Sandra Bullock said the creatures were initially depicted via green screen as “dark figures” with “tentacles” and “appendages” that were “slimy and gross.”
– Bullock’s character glimpses the monster at one point in the film and has a horrified reaction, implying the entity she viewed was disturbing.
– Bier described the creatures as physical manifestations of depression and suicide. The mysterious beings seem symbolic of these inner demons.
So while details are scarce, it seems the creatures were amorphous horrors that took on different appearances and embodied primal fears.
The Importance of Keeping the Monsters Obscured
Bird Box received some criticism for never fully showing the monsters, but this choice was likely pivotal to the film’s success for several reasons:
It allowed for mystery and speculation
Leaving the monsters perpetually unseen opened up a realm of mystery and fan speculation that helped propel the film’s popularity and intrigue. The unknown creatures became a compelling discussion point that consumed viewers. Showing them outright would have removed this engaging mystery.
It prevented limiting the monsters to one form
Revealing the monsters’ appearance could have also undermined their primal, shapeshifting nature that took on people’s unique fears. Obscuring them allowed each viewer to fill in the unknown with their own imagined horrors.
It focused attention on character drama
Not showing the threat kept the story centered on the tense human drama unfolding in the house. Had the monsters been clearly shown early on, it could have become more of a conventional creature feature horror movie.
It aligned with the blindness theme
The concept of blindness and unseen horrors complements the story’s exploration of drawing upon inner strength in the face of the unknown. Relying on senses beyond sight is thematically tied to the invisible monsters.
So while it may have frustrated some viewers, keeping the creatures perpetually obscured was likely vital to the film’s atmosphere and themes. The blindness enhanced the tension and stimulated imagination in powerful ways.
Similarities to Other Horror Films and Fiction
While unique in its own right, Bird Box’s unseen monsters share similarities to other horror films and fiction in how they portray invisible threats:
A Quiet Place
The deadly creatures in A Quiet Place are rarely fully shown, appearing only briefly or in shadows. Like Bird Box, obscuring the monsters adds tension and allows people’s imagination and fears to run wild.
It Follows
It Follows features an entity that constantly pursues victims, but its form often remains vague and shifting. This invisible stalker dynamic is similar to the unseen beasts in Bird Box.
The Mist
The monsters within the mist in this Stephen King film/story remain obscured and ambiguous, playing upon fears of the unknown. People’s wildly differing speculations about their form evokes the mystery around the Bird Box creatures.
HP Lovecraft Stories
Lovecraft’s cosmic horror tales often feature ancient monstrous beings like Cthulhu that induce madness and are indescribable/beyond human comprehension. The unseen monsters in Bird Box tap into similar primordial fears.
So while delivering its own unique thrills, Bird Box seems clearly influenced by and similar to other horror stories featuring invisible threats left to the imagination. This sense of the unknown enhances their ability to terrify.
Theoretical Origins and Concepts Behind the Monsters
While their exact form remains a mystery, the theoretical underpinnings of the monsters in Bird Box contain some interesting food for thought:
Jungian Concept of Primal Fears
Director Susanne Bier described the creatures as embodying people’s deepest, most primal fears. This concept aligns with Carl Jung’s theories around the collective unconscious and archetypes, in which there are certain universal symbols and fears embedded deep in the psyche shared by humanity. Looking upon these beasts could be interpreted as confronting the Jungian shadow self or aspects people repress/deny.
Forbidden Knowledge and the Unknown
The idea of monsters that cause insanity when viewed evokes concepts around forbidden knowledge man is not meant to know. This is a common theme in Lovecraftian cosmic horror about threats of the unknown that shatter one’s grip on reality. The beasts represent forces beyond human understanding that cannot be confronted safely.
Depression and Despair
Bier also stated the monsters served as metaphors for depression. Their ability to induce suicide could be seen as symbolic of depression’s darkest effects. They represent dangerous inward forces that desperately need to be barricaded out.
Addiction and Enabling
Another theory is that the monsters symbolize addiction, with Malorie’s sister Jessica unable to resist the pull towards them. Those who “look” enable others and spread the contagion of addiction further. The unknown beasts represent the lure of addiction.
So the creatures tap into many deep-seated societal fears – the unknown, mental illness, addiction – that often remain invisible but exert enormous control. Their amorphous nature mirrors how these intangible forces lack defined shape or borders.
Fan Art Depictions of the Monsters
Unable to see the actual creatures, creative fans have taken to depicting their own visions of the Bird Box monsters in terrifying art:
Artist | Description |
---|---|
Javi de Castro | Black skeletal ghostly figures with multiple arms surrounding victims |
Art of Birdbox | Huge slimy tentacled mouth parts emerging from darkness |
M.C Policarpio | Swirling figures with bony fingers and sharp teeth looming towards viewer |
Arturo Torres | Towering humanoid with a head replaced by writhing organic tendrils |
These artworks showcase the diversity of forms fans imagine the entities taking, from haunting ghosts to Lovecraftian monsters. Each depiction seems like something that could drive a viewer insane if witnessed. They capture the primal horror around the unknown creatures.
Conclusion
The mysterious monsters of Bird Box tap into powerful psychological fears of the unseen. While never fully revealed, their presence drives the narrative and allows for gripping speculation. Obscuring their form maintained the story’s intimate focus and aligned with key themes. The creatures arise from deep Jungian concepts and represent depression, addiction, and other internal demons. Fan art creatively depicts terrifying imagined designs. Their invisibility makes the Bird Box monsters timelessly compelling representations of the horrors that reside in darkness beyond our understanding.