Small Details You Missed In Bird Box

Whether you're a fan of a good thriller or not, chances are you've probably made the time to watch Bird Box. The Netflix original took the world by storm over the 2018 holiday season, and that momentum didn't slow down heading into 2019. The post-apocalyptic, suspense-laden film starring Sandra Bullock and adapted from the novel of the same name has been a smash hit, allegedly netting the streaming service their largest initial audience viewing to date.

As with most well-made movies, in many ways it's the little details throughout Bird Box that help elevate it from good to great, giving it a feeling of depth and authenticity. But the truth is, it's hard to catch all of the little subtleties and hints that are woven throughout the movie while you're busy trying not to fall off the edge of your seat as you strain for a glimpse of just what those monsters actually look like. We've gone ahead and gathered up some observations for you to mull over while you work through that post-credits daze. Here's a look at all the small details you missed in Bird Box.

That early scene in Malorie's apartment is actually a gold mine for little hints and teasers, and another comes in the form of one of her paintings located next to the larger piece she's actively working on. The secondary piece sports a number of elements that are eerily relatable to the events that are about to unfold. A deer can be seen being hunted down by a wolf while a ghoulish, unrecognizable form is seen to hover over the two creatures. Add to that the appearance of a bird above it all, and the whole piece seems to scream out with some kind of prophetic knowledge.

Malorie isn't necessarily anything more than a victim of the monsters that she later encounters, but it's interesting to note that she clearly isn't a stranger to thoughts of horrific supernatural scenarios. Coincidence? Perhaps. But on the other hand, it could also imply that she already had some inkling of the looming apocalypse before everything went down.

While we're in the early phases of Malorie's forced stay in the house, let's take a quick look at one other tidbit that hints at her having more supernatural inclinations than may have been apparent at first glance. For starters, she's the one that picks up the story Charlie's been writing, showing a seemingly genuine curiosity towards something that has disgusted the rest of the group.

But her active interest in the creatures doesn't stop there. As she counts down the days during her long tenure in the house, Malorie is shown more than once wandering around holding multiple manuscripts, including a book of distressingly captivating mazes by Giovani Piranesi along with one titled Cabinet of Natural Curiosities, which takes a deep dive into many different strange and odd creatures, both real and mythical. Many of these have an eerie similarity to Gary's drawings later on in the film. Why is Malorie so interested in these creatures... and how is her sleuthing so spot on throughout the movie?

One of the more intriguing Easter eggs in the film comes early on — and is a little tough to catch. When Malorie first reaches the house after watching her sister willingly meet her demise, the initial chaos within the fledgling survivor community is tumultuous for a time. As the phones and cable begin to fail, though, one call manages to get through, leading to a heart-wrenching scene between two despairing parents and their child, who clearly sees one of the monsters while on the phone.

Rushing out the door without a thought for their own safety, the couple isn't seen again in the film... alive, that is. However, as the group heads out to gather supplies, they run over "speed bumps," one of which is the couple, lying in the street not far from the house. While their faces are hard to recognize, their clothes are the same, bringing some closure regarding their gruesome fate.

A fairly large portion of the movie takes place with Malorie, Boy, and Girl floating down the river. The trip takes over two days, and they come across a plethora of challenges as they go along, not the least of which is keeping the boat afloat, a feat Malorie manages to pull off until the rapids prove too much of a challenge. Making this even more impressive: the character is fairly new to rowing, only getting better as she goes along.

Bullock does a great job with this evolution of skill, as we see her initially flailing, whipping the oars around and trying to get her sea legs as she launches the boat. However, by the end, she's seen rowing with focus and determination, like an old pro. It turns out that this wasn't just acting: Bullock actually had no experience rowing when she stepped into the boat, purposefully leaning on her lack of know-how to help make the scene look more realistic. The river shots were filmed in order so her rowing would naturally improve as the movie progressed.

With all of the scares throughout Bird Box, it's easy to get very monster-centric in the discussion of what the film was actually about. But if one takes a step back and looks at the story as a whole, a few other themes start to jump out, including one big one that hides right in the open: walking by faith, not sight. The film is positively dripping with the common religious theme of relying on belief and not trusting what you can see.

We witness the characters trying to do their best without one of their most crucial senses, purposefully choosing not to look at their surroundings in order to survive. By doing so, they consciously forsake what would typically be the "common sense" solution but is, in this case, actually the most detrimental to their well-being. Whatever author Josh Malerman or director Susanne Bier may have meant to say through this is open to interpretation, but the parallel to trusting in faith rather than sight is as plain as the blindfolds that facilitate it throughout the film.