How Bird Box Barcelona Adds To The Bird Box Mythology. Do you remember the Cloverfield movie? J.J. Abrams was going to craft a whole world and then worlds within those worlds, of movie spin-offs, all based on the mythology of this one enormous Cloverfield project. There were secret science labs, there were hidden websites with secret codes and … it was all way too good to be true in the end. Because, when it was all said and done? It sort of all petered out. It kind of felt like if someone had a decent sci-fi movie idea, it was just chucked into the Cloverfield universe with nary a reason. But maybe, just maybe, the Bird Box universe might actually pull this elusive IP mythology expansion that J.J. failed to pull off. Let’s just see though… I might be getting a little ahead of myself.
Intellectual Property, and known universes are enormous sources of potential capital for the movie industry. Josh Malerman, and his original book, built a fantastic universe wherein these movies could be set. And the sequel to the original book was fantastic as well. If you are a reader, I highly recommend them. But what did Bird Box: Barcelona do to expand the world and the mythos of the Bird Box experience? I’m so glad you asked:
- New Characters and Location: Bird Box: Barcelona introduces a whole new set of characters living in Barcelona, Spain. Led by the protagonist Sebastian, played by Mario Casas, this mixed Latino and European cast navigates the post-apocalyptic world filled with unseen horrors. The change in location adds fresh perspectives and cultural nuances to the story.
- Seers and Their Immunity: While the first film revolved around survivors who blindfolded themselves to evade the monsters, Bird Box: Barcelona unveils a group of people known as “Seers.” These individuals can witness the monstrous entities without succumbing to their deadly influence. The concept of immunity adds complexity to the mythology, leaving the audience questioning the nature of this phenomenon. And are they really immune at all if, while they don’t commit suicide, they are inducing the suicides of others?
- Divergent Beliefs and Fanaticism: In the sequel, we encounter a zealous priest, played by Leonardo Sbaraglia, who leads a group of fanatics that worship the creatures as divine entities. This introduces religious themes and explores the thin line between faith and delusion, showcasing the diverse reactions of people to the same catastrophic event.
- Possible Cure and Scientific Experiments: Bird Box: Barcelona takes us to a secret army camp at Montjuïc Castle, where scientists are conducting blood tests in an attempt to find a cure for the madness that plagues the world. Markers based on stressful experiences?? (PTSD Genetic signs??) This development introduces the possibility of hope and resolution, but it also raises questions about the nature of the creatures and the extent of their influence.
- Potential for International Spin-Offs: With the success of Bird Box: Barcelona, the movie hints at the potential for more international spin-offs set in different locations around the world. The film explores how a different culture and society might react to the same apocalyptic event, leaving the audience eager to see the Bird Box universe expand further.
But did we learn anything about the monsters in Bird Box: Barcelona?
Why yes, actually, we did. Not a ton, but enough to give us a bit of a better feel about these horrible and mysterious creatures. A key detail that helped us delve deeper came from Octavio, a physics major, who theorized that monsters could quite possibly be quantum beings. The monsters could be existing in multiple states simultaneously and defying conventional physics laws. And it is through this Quantum theorization that they derived the idea of the Observer Effect. The Observer Effect states that when a quantum entity is observed, it alters their appearance and their behavior. And, through the observing, it locks them into a state that is depictable on the screen… not what they are, but what they are appearing to be for this one individual.
We also learn that the monsters are able to manipulate their appearance, embodying the deepest fears, griefs, or insecurities of those who see them. This gives rise to varied emotions and reactions among different characters. And it is through the creatures’ lack of a fixed form that adds an element of tragedy and terror to the Bird Box universe, with individuals either feeling utterly helpless or becoming devoted followers.
You probably recognize this idea for the monsters from Bird Box: Barcelona – because it runs parallel to the creatures from other cinematic monsters from other movies. For example, the Jabberjays from The Hunger Games trilogy, the boggarts from the Harry Potter universe, and the avian mutts from The Color of Magic. But Bird Box: Barcelona takes it to another level by adding a Quantum level and explaining it from q-duality, multiplicity, complexity perspective.
With its unique angle on the monsters’ quantum nature and their effect on the characters’ perceptions, Bird Box: Barcelona expands the understanding of the creatures beyond the original film. The film leaves us with intriguing questions about the creatures’ origin, motives, and possible ways to combat them, setting the stage for potential sequels that could explore these aspects further. As the Bird Box universe continues to grow, we may see more revelations about the creatures’ true nature and the possibilities for survival and resolution in this dystopian world.
The Future of Bird Box: Barcelona Explored
The ending leaves some questions unanswered, like the fate of the captured seer and the potential for developing a successful vaccine based on seer’s PTSD trauma genetic markers. But the best bit, by an enormous level, is that it also sets the stage for a near infinite possible spin-offs and sequels that could further explore the creatures’ true nature, the potential for a cure, and the characters’ struggle for survival in this post-apocalyptic world.
In summary, Bird Box: Barcelona expands on the original movie’s concept of mysterious creatures while delving into the quantum nature of these entities and how they manipulate human perception. The ending leaves room for further exploration and raises intriguing questions about the future of the Bird Box universe.
Personally, what Bird Box: Barcelona has done to the Bird Box Mythology is enormous. Suddenly, the Bird Box movies can be anything each director going forward wants it to be. Here, the monsters were quantum angels, Seraphim, with many wings, daunting power, and with spiritual underpinnings. The next movie? Maybe it’s back in America, New York, at the top of Empire State building… and we watch as the aliens front themselves as scientific anomalies, or ball lightning or something. Or heck, maybe the film goes back to visit with Sandra Bullock for a continuation of her story and this cultist enclave of blind people. Or maybe the series goes back to the outbreak in Los Angeles. Who knows. But the amazing thing here is just how adaptable this IP now is as a result of the metamorphosis of the monsters (aliens? gods? angels?) into this infinitely adaptable new possibility.
Personal Thoughts on Bird Box: Barcelona
From a Netflix standpoint, Bird Box: Barcelona was perfect. It made the film an international win, which is enormous for the streaming giant. But it also deeply rooted it into the original simultaneously. I personally wish American audiences weren’t so negatively inclined towards multilingual adaptations (“I don’t watch movies to read demmit… ‘Merica!”). And one of the things I love about European movies is how they shift from language to language without skipping a beat. But I loved that texture and fabric that made this movie so much more realistic from a European standpoint.
More importantly, I loved how the narrator, the “hero” (anti-hero?) was an infected. (A seer?) And as the audience realizes this, as his daughter is played out to be a mental construct, we all come to the conclusion that he is evil, and not to be trusted. Which is wild, because we are rooting for his, and his daughter’s, survival at first. Which was a really great twist. Loved that. Anyway, I enjoyed the movie, thought it was pretty clever, and really quite entertaining. But, mainly I enjoyed where this movie set the series up to do in the next installments. And if Netflix is even halfway clever (and they are) then they will drop a pile more of these movies for us to enjoy going forward. And in time, I’m sure, that Sandra Bullock will return. Maybe several times. Because WHY WOULDN’T YOU?
Edited by: CY
