20 Thrilling Movies Like Bird Box You Need To See Next

It seemed like "Bird Box" was the topic of conversation back in December 2018, when the film dropped on Netflix. Sandra Bullock stars as Malorie, a visual artist living alone in the San Francisco Bay Area, who was pregnant when large swaths of people worldwide went crazy, committing mass suicide. After the first wave of suicides, the people who remain, like Malorie, are in a shelter near where they were when chaos erupted. They struggle to trust one another while scavenging for supplies.

The survivors quickly realize you can't look at these entities without going mad; so they learn to navigate without their vision to guide them. Five years after the world descended into chaos, Malorie was pushed to the brink. She is hunted by unseen monsters, afraid of the people who saw these monsters and weren't driven mad, because they already were, and she is running out of supplies and allies. Malorie — desperate to find safety for herself and the children she cares for — travels a dangerous stretch of river with two small children, hoping to find a sanctuary she isn't sure exists.

"Bird Box" is a layered thriller with a variety of themes and elements imagining what happens when society crumbles, and people are only motivated by fear and desperation. Perilous journeys, searching for other survivors and the safety found in numbers, are a common thread in many films featuring the aftermath of apocalyptic events. If you loved "Bird Box" we've got a list of films for you to check out next!

If you or anyone you know is having suicidal thoughts, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline​ at​ 1-800-273-TALK (8255)​.

When Jim (Cillian Murphy) awakes from a coma in a London hospital, he discovers the world has descended into chaos after a virus has turned people into violent zombies, in director Danny Boyle's "28 Weeks Later." After a group of survivors, including Selena (Naomie Harris) save Jim, they help him travel to his parent's home, where he discovers they have killed themselves. After meeting up with a cab driver named Frank (Brendan Gleeson) and his teenage daughter, Hannah (Megan Burns). This group of survivors travel in search of a rumored sanctuary near Manchester. This film not only revived the public's fascination with zombies, it reminded studios there is a commercial market for intelligent, thought provoking horror.

Like "Bird Box" this film preys on our mistrust of our fellow man, coupled with our need for community. Jim, much like Malorie, takes a perilous journey looking for sanctuary and hope, but in "28 Days Later" it is Selena who is the tough woman keeping kind-hearted Jim alive. The film has excellent ratings with critics and audiences on Rotten Tomatoes, and Roger Ebert called Boyle's film, "a tough, smart, ingenious movie that leads its characters into situations where everything depends on their (and our) understanding of human nature." If you haven't seen the film that kicked off the new millennium's fascination with zombies and the apocalypse, you can stream it on HBO Max.

"Children of Men" is set in the not so distant dystopian future of 2027. After two decades of decline in birth rates, women have become infertile. Because of war, infertility and economic strife, society has fallen apart and the world we know has devolved into a chaotic wasteland. The UK's government is hanging on by a thread, becoming a police state in reaction to the inundation of refugees. The Fishes, an extremist immigrant rights group lead by Julian (Julianne Moore) approaches Theo (Clive Owen), her ex-husband, to get papers for a refugee named Kee. After Theo discovers Kee is pregnant, he agrees to escort her to a sanctuary dedicated to curing infertility in the Azores.

Metacritic has given this film a "must-see" rating, and it was nominated for three Oscars (per IMDb). Dana Stevens of Slate said, "Alfonso Cuarón's dense, dark, and layered meditation on fertility, technology, immigration, war, love, and life itself may be the movie of the still-young millennium." Watching this 2006 film now, when 2027 is nearing, is an intense experience. There is a sense of relief because our world isn't what we see in the film, but we hear echoes of our own reality and reflections of our fears for the future in this bleak but brilliant film.

After an intense storm, David (Thomas Jane), his son Billy (Nathan Gamble) and their neighbor, Brent (Andre Braugher), drive into their small Maine town, shopping for supplies in "The Mist," a film adapted from a Steven King novella. While in the grocery store, a thick fog blankets the town, making it impossible to see outside. A diverse group of residents take refuge in the store. After a resident runs in with a warning, they discover something sinister hides in the fog.

Tensions rise as they disagree about what they should do. Some insist on going outside to find help, only to lose their lives. While Mrs. Carmody (Marcia Gay Harden) preaches end-of-days, arguing for a sacrifice. Like "Bird Box" this film captures the fear we have, not only of monsters we can't see, but of each other. Mrs. Carmondy's religiosity stokes division, and soon the residents in the store are as afraid of each other as they are of the ominous fog.

The exploration of the two factions in the grocery store, one fundamental Christian and the other science-based, make for a terrific commentary on political divisions in our culture. While not as popular with critics as with audiences, some critics praised the surprising ending. Peter Hartlaub of The San Francisco Chronicle said, "the twists and turns are what elevate 'The Mist' from Roger Corman B-movie territory to something considerably more substantial."

Director Patricia Rozema adapted the screenplay for "Into the Forest" from a novel by Jean Hegland. Starring Elliot Page and Evan Rachel Wood as two sisters, Nell and Eva, they must rely on each other and the forest around their remote cabin for survival after the world plunges into chaos after a massive power outage, and their father's death. The battery-powered radio they have remains silent, and the power does not come back on, leaving them uncertain what is happening outside their rural community.

Despite their isolation, they are not safe from intrusions from the outside world, and it becomes clear, diminishing resources aren't their only concern, as they must contend with aggression and lawlessness. "Into the Forest" doesn't have any monsters. It shows a realistic breakdown in society after a power outage and failure of communication systems. What this film has in common with "Bird Box" are the pressing needs for survival, and how people navigate this and are changed by their desperation. Critic Peter Sobczynski called the film "a strong, smart and moving end-of-the-world drama that is further bolstered by strong performances," adding that director Rozema, "creates a quiet but palpable sense of menace regarding the world outside the house" (per Roger Ebert).

"Here Alone" follows Ann (Lucy Walters) , a young woman who once had a husband and daughter. After a pandemic transforms people into zombies, decimating the population and destroying the fabric of society, Ann lives by herself in the wilderness. She survives by forging the land and scavenging from abandoned houses in the area. After Ann has been on her own for sometime, she comes upon a teenage girl, Olivia (Gina Piersanti) and an injured man, Chris (Adam David Thompson). Ann finds it difficult to trust them, but she helps nurse Chris back to health, despite her reservations.

Through heart-wrenching flashbacks, we learn what happened to Ann's husband and baby. Tatiana Criane of The Village Voice, said, "Although writer David Ebeltoft's post-apocalyptic story feels familiar at times (reminiscent of parts of Stephen King's 'The Stand'), the scenery and Blackhurst's direction make 'Here Alone' a verdant, suspenseful treat." While the monsters in this film were once human, much like "Bird Box," survivors have come to fear their own kind as much as the monsters.

Every once in a while you go into a film expecting the standard fare of post-apocalyptic zombie movies that have become the rage over the last 20 years, but instead, at the end of the film you're crying while saying something like, "that was beautiful." When watching "Cargo" prepare yourself for the latter scenario. The film opens with a husband, Andy (Martin Freeman) and wife, Kay (Susie Porter) living on a houseboat with their infant daughter, Rosie, after a zombie virus has decimated Australia.

When Kay dies, infecting Andy, he has 48 hours to find someone he can trust to care for Rosie. Andy's time is running out when he crosses paths with an adolescent Aborigine girl, Thoomi (Simone Landers), who is grieving the death of her father. They travel together, hoping to find her family before Andy succumbs to the transformation. Rotten Tomatoes gave this emotionally resonant film a "fresh" rating, and we couldn't agree more. Jamie Righetti of IndieWire said the film "manages to elevate itself above 'The Walking Dead' ennui."

The French language 2017 film "The Ravenous" is set in rural Quebec after a virus turns locals into zombies. We don't see the first days of the descent into chaos as society crumbles; instead we catch up with the survivors after they have already adopted a kill-or-be-killed attitude, setting off on their own after losing their loved ones to the virus. This small group of survivors band together for one last push to a bunker beyond the woods, hoping to find sanctuary and salvation. What is so striking and eerie about the film is how silent it is, emphasizing not only the character's isolation but also the loss of lives.

The landscape is devoid of life until you come upon a group of zombies staring up at a tower of kitchen chairs or toys they have stacked into the wide-open sky. Joe Leydon, with Variety, said, "it's doubtful that any previous movie or TV drama about the voracious undead has deserved the label of 'contemplative' as much as writer-director Robin Aubert's [2017 film.]" If you are looking for a more thoughtful, artistic take on the zombie apocalypse, you can stream "The Ravenous" on Netflix tonight.

In "Hold the Dark," Russel Core (Jeffrey Wright), an expert on wolf behavior, travels to a remote village in Alaska to help when a young mother, Medora (Riley Keough), who writes telling him her young son, Bailey, and other children have been taken by wolves. When Russel (Wright) begins his investigation, after talking to locals and observing the wolves, he comes to believe there is something sinister at play in this forgotten town in Alaska. Once Bailey's father, Vernon (Alexander Skarsgård), arrives home from his deployment in Iraq after being injured, the suspense builds to an explosive, albeit confounding, violent climax.

The link between "Hold the Dark" and "Bird Box" is tenuous, but both films excel at expressing how humans are often as terrifying as the monsters we fear. David Fear with Rolling Stone, called the film, "An extraordinary high-pulp potboiler, one that mixes elements of indigenous mysticism, Greek tragedy and rural revenge flicks." It seems from the scores on Rotten Tomatoes that critics liked the film more than audiences, but you can decide for yourself by streaming it on Netflix tonight. Just make sure you don't need to go out in the dark afterward.

John Krasinski's directorial debut, "A Quiet Place" is the spiritual sister of "Bird Box." The film stars John Krasinski and Emily Blunt as a married couple, Lee and Evelyn Abbott, who are doing their best to keep their children alive after mysterious monsters that hunt by sound have invaded their world. The Abbott's have an advantage in this new world of devastation: their daughter is hearing-impaired, and because of this, they can communicate in silence. Despite this edge, every day, human activities have become perilous. The scene where Evelyn tries to silently give birth is harrowing, and the suspense in this film is off the charts.

Metacritic declared it a "must-see" movie, while on Rotten Tomatoes, the film is "certified fresh." You won't be disappointed by this intense film. We can say confidently, it is better than "Bird Box" — and better than a lot of films envisioning the end of our civilization. The parallels between this film with "Bird Box" are unavoidable. Where impaired vision escalated the anxiety of "Bird Box," the necessity for silence intensifies the tension in this film. As The Guardian said, "Each audible breath, each creak, adds a needle stab of anxiety to the story." If you love this film as much as we think you will, remember there's a sequel!

Although our last selection is a departure from the end-of-days theme we've been running with, it has a common thread with "Bird Box." In "The Invisible Man" Cecilia (Elisabeth Moss) escapes her controlling, rich and abusive boyfriend, Adrian Griffin (Oliver Jackson-Cohen), but she doesn't experience the feelings of relief one might expect. After Adrian kills himself and leaves her his fortune, Cecilia becomes convinced he is still alive, and she is being stalked by a man no one can see.

Not knowing if Cecilia is insane keeps the audience temporarily off balance, but after a series of creepy experiences, we believe Cecilia. Not being able to see her tormentor intensifies the suspense in this bite-your-nails thriller. Rotten Tomatoes has given "The Invisible Man" a near-perfect "certified fresh" rating. But, this film isn't just cheap thrills. It explores the struggle to heal and move on from an abusive relationship by weaponizing the hyper-vigilance victims of domestic abuse often experience after leaving.

If you or someone you know is dealing with domestic abuse, you can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1−800−799−7233. You can also find more information, resources, and support at their website.