My family and I watched "A Quiet Place" over winter break, and the next day we decided to give in and see if the commotion about "Bird Box" was valid. Well, what would you know, the movies have some uncanny similarities.
Here is a list of nine similarities between "Bird Box" and "A Quiet Place."
1. Fabulous casting.
A job well-done to the casting directors. Sandra Bullock playing Malorie in "Bird Box" is the exact strong, female lead we all needed. I couldn't picture any other female cast that could yell at some adorable little kids and I would be okay with it. Also, the fact that John Malkovich was a character was amazing, even if you hated him part of the movie. OK, most of the movie.
"A Quiet Place" only had six characters. SIX. Well, seven, if you count the Man in the Woods' dead wife (which IMDb doesn't). Despite the small cast, two of the six characters are famous actors, John Krasinski and Emily Blunt. If you weren't aware, they are actually married in real life, and this movie was the first time they were married on-the-screen as well. Can't get better than that.
2. Both movies are set in some sort of post-apocalyptic world.
GiphyPost-apocalyptic world books and movies have been the rage in the last 10 years or so. It basically started when "The Hunger Games" was released. Since then, there have been numerous books and movies released about some sort of world that has been altered by unknown creatures, the government, etc. People love to imagine and live in these worlds through the characters. I do agree, it is quite entertaining.
Both these movies have some sort of creature that can kill you. Because of this, the characters must resort back to old ways of living and fend for themselves. You don't see the characters using cell phones, or going to the grocery store. (OK, except for that one scene in "Bird Box" but would you really count that as what we consider now grocery shopping?) In most cases, the characters don't even leave their house. But, the setting that the characters are placed in makes for an interesting storyline. It makes the audience wonder how they, themselves, would adapt in this scenario.
3. Of course there are children involved.
Julian Edwards, Sandra Bullock, Vivien Lyra Blair
@sandra.bullock.official
You know, because living in a post-apocalyptic world isn't hard enough. Let's add kids into the mix!
"Bird Box" went extreme with adding a couple of 5-year-olds. Not just one, but two. Then on top of that, taking their ability to see away, only yelling at them when communicating, and naming them Girl and Boy. No wonder the kids barely spoke.
For "A Quiet Place," they decided to not only have everything go wrong at the same time but add a pregnancy in a world where you can't make a sound or you could die. Then, adding a rebellious teenager who is deaf herself. If the writers were trying to set up the circumstances as difficult as they could, they succeeded.
4. Each movie takes away one of the five senses from the characters.
GiphyThis is probably the most obvious similarity. If you had seen one of these movies and then watched the other one, you probably had already thought to yourself that they are similar. Congratulations.
By taking away one of the character's senses, it makes the storyline that much more interesting. "A Quiet Place" created creatures that couldn't see, but had excellent hearing. Therefore, the characters had to not make a sound. You may think at first that it is not too difficult until you realize how much noise you make every single day.
"Bird Box" went even more extreme and took away the characters' sight. Do you know how difficult that actually is? Meanwhile, Sandra Bullock is basically running through the woods, blindfolded, with no fear or hesitation. I can't walk three feet blindfolded without hesitating. Add an unknown creature no one can actually see into it, and you are living a real-life nightmare.
5. Both movies feature some sort of creature that wants to kill you.
@aquietplacemovie
I mean, you have to have them.
The movies put a lot of thought and effort into what the creatures look like, or didn't look like. "A Quiet Place" created some sort of alien, spider-like creature with no eyes and bulletproof skin. It honestly looks disgusting. But "Bird Box" decided to make it eerie and not have a creature you can even see. But instead, something that encompasses the characters to kill themselves. Whatever it is the characters saw, it must have been terrible.
6. The leading male character dies.
@aquietplacemovie
RIP. Both times it hurts. Both characters make the ultimate sacrifice to save their family. They do the most selfless act they could possibly do. Both deaths were hard to watch. Tear-jerking.
7. The kids make some sort of mistake because they aren't listening.
@birdboxmovie
Surprised? What do you expect when you bring young children into a post-apocalyptic world where you fight creatures? It all to go smoothly? Think again.
Children don't even listen to their parents when they tell them to clean their room. Do you think that children will all of a sudden become completely obedient, because if not it can cost them their lives? Again, think again.
"A Quiet Place" stars the queen of disobedience, Regan. Although she does have reasons deep-down as to why she is disobedient, it does almost cost her, her life. But it did cost her a life, her father's.
"Bird Box" works with two five-year-olds so of course, something is bound to go wrong. And it does. Girl decides to get out of the boat, even though Malorie basically threatened their lives if they did. Girl then almost takes her mask off, which again, would have gotten her killed. Come on, Girl.
8. Time randomly skips forward.
@birdboxmovie
In "Bird Box," the entire first part of the movie jumps back and forth between present and past. But then at one point whenever you think you are caught up, it skips forward 5 whole years. HUH? How do you just skip 5 years forward and pretend like nothing else life threatening happened raising two young children in those 5 years? Absolutely not.
"A Quiet Place" begins day 89 of the post-apocalyptic world. It precedes to rip your heart out as you watch an adorable, innocent boy die. Then it skips forward to day 472. OK, it's not as extreme as the skip in "Bird Box" but what? We're just going to go ahead and skip a whole year of the pain the characters went through with the loss of the young boy? No, thank you.
9. The movies end...but the story doesn't.
@aquietplacemovie
Both of the movies left me with so many questions. They end, but they don't really end. In "A Quiet Place," it actually ends on a cliffhanger. Sure, the characters figure out how to defeat the creatures, but so many more are now running to their house to kill them. And you have 3 children and one of them is a baby. Also, does that gun have enough ammo to kill all of them? Rumor has it that John Krasinski is writing a sequel. Maybe the sequel will answer all of those questions I have.
In "Bird Box," the movie ends with the characters arriving at the home for the blind. First of all, I did not see that one coming, but it makes total sense. But, then what happens? Do they just live there forever? In the middle of the woods? How do they get food? There's no way they have enough food to feed everyone there forever. Are the creatures always going to be around? Is that it? I have so many questions.
I really enjoyed both movies, and they do have individual characteristics. I promise. But they also just have very similar characteristics too.
I would recommend both movies, if you have the time. They may not differ too much, but hey, at least the movies changed which of the senses the characters lost. That counts for something, right?
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