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11 Movies Like Bird Box On Netflix That Will Keep You Scared For Weeks
Watch if you dare.
Nearly three years after it first debuted, Bird Box remains one of the most-watched original films in Netflix history. The Sandra Bullock movie struck a chord — and continues to draw viewers today — with its perfect balance of horror, unique storytelling, and star power. And if you’re one of the tens of millions of people who has seen the film, then you’re probably also interested in finding other movies like Bird Box that are streaming on Netflix now. (After all, it’s been a while since fans have gotten any updates on the planned sequel.)
Given Netflix’s massive library of films, it’s not surprising that a significant number of the available movies fall into the horror genre. But picking just any scary movie as a Bird Box-alike won’t do, because Bird Box is no ordinary horror film. It uses the same philosophy that underpins many of the very best horror films — the idea that what’s unseen is more frightening than what is seen — and does so in perhaps the most ambitious way possible, by removing the main characters’ sight from the equation. Bird Box also builds tension slowly, breeding feelings of isolation and fomenting fear of the unknown, so any horror movie that’s hoping to hold a candle to it will have to do the same. Luckily, the 11 movies on Netflix listed below do just that — and promise to fill the Bird Box-shaped hole in your streaming diet.
1
Adrift
Is Adrift a horror movie? No, probably not in the technical sense. But like Bird Box, it is a harrowing survivalist tale, centered on an individual who must overcome impossible odds in order to stave off death. The film stars Shailene Woodley as a woman who must find a way to survive for more than a month alone at sea after a hurricane destroys her sailboat and kills her fiancé. And the most frightening part? It’s based on a true story.
2
Apostle
One of the things that makes Bird Box so scary is that it puts an ordinary person in an extraordinarily dangerous world, and that’s exactly what Apostle does, too. This twisted period horror film follows a man (Dan Stevens) who travels to a secluded Welsh island in 1905, with the aim of rescuing his sister from a cult. Posing as a convert to the group, the man soon discovers just how evil and deadly this sect is.
3
Cargo
Martin Freeman stars in this post-apocalyptic horror drama, which boasts some serious Bird Box vibes. The Hobbit star portrays a man with an infant daughter who becomes stranded in the middle of nowhere during a zombie apocalypse. Things go from bad to worse once he is bitten by a zombie, as he has just 48 hours to get his child to safety before he turns into a zombie himself.
4
The Conjuring
Most of the films on this list feature the same slow-building tension that Bird Box does. The Conjuring... doesn’t really do that. This is no psychological thriller, it’s a straight-up, old-school haunted house movie — and it happens to be one of the best haunted house movies ever made. Featuring great performances from Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson, even though it’s stylistically different from Birdbox, this movie is worth watching if a good scare is what you’re after.
5
Creep
Mark Duplass was mainly known as a comedic actor when he starred in this creepy (no pun intended) 2014 horror flick, which spawned a mini-franchise. An example of the found-footage genre, Creep follows a videographer who takes a job advertised on Craigslist — to chronicle a day in the life of a man named Josef who lives in a remote cabin (Duplass). But it soon becomes clear that this is no ordinary gig, and Josef is no ordinary man.
6
Hush
One of the most notable aspects of Bird Box is that it removes the protagonist’s ability to see, forcing her to navigate her way through the film’s scary plot sans vision. Hush does something similar, but instead of following a blindfolded protagonist, it centers on Maddie (Kate Siegel) — a woman who is deaf and mute. This detail makes the film’s central plot device — a home invasion by a sadistic killer — even more horrifying.
7
Gerald’s Game
Stephen King is, without question, the master of horror. A staggering number of the Maine native’s bestselling books have been turned into hit films, including this 2017 Netflix original. A psychological horror-thriller, Gerald’s Game focuses on a woman (Carla Gugino) whose reality breaks down when her husband dies during a bondage session and leaves her trapped in her own bed with no escape.
8
I Am Mother
If you like a little sci-fi with your horror, then this Hilary Swank vehicle should be right up your alley. Like Bird Box, it explores themes like motherhood and survival to complement its post-apocalyptic scares. But unlike Bird Box, this Netflix movie leans hard into science-fiction by featuring a part-robot cast and taking place in outer space. It’s about a girl who was raised on a spaceship by her robot “mother” and led to believe that humanity was extinct — but when another human (Swank) shows up, she’s no longer sure what she believes.
9
It Comes at Night
Indie film studio A24 is renowned for their eerie, atmospheric horror films like The Witch, Hereditary, Midsommar... and this 2017 movie. Like Bird Box, It Comes at Night is a post-apocalyptic story, but one that hits considerably closer to home as it takes place during a deadly global pandemic. Without giving away the film’s secrets, let’s just say that the story that unfolds is a masterclass in building tension.
Watch on Netflix
10
Oxygen
If the survivalism in Bird Box wasn’t quite intense enough for you (you must be extremely tough), then why not take this Netflix original film for a spin? Directed by acclaimed French horror auteur Alexandre Aja and released in April 2021, this sci-fi thriller follows a woman who awakens in a cryogenic chamber with no memory of who she is or how she got there — questions she must answer within 90 minutes before her oxygen supply runs out. Not for claustrophobes.
11
The Ritual
Fair warning: If you enjoy hiking and spending time in the woods, you may not after watching this film. It’s about four British men who embark on a hiking trip to Sweden to honor their recently deceased friend. When one of them becomes injured during the trip, they decide to cut through the woods to save time on their trek. That’s when all hell breaks loose, as the forest is hiding things that are better left alone.
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