'Bird Box' vs. 'A Quiet Place': All the Differences Between the Similar Horror Films

While Netflix's Bird Box is based off author Josh Malerman's book of the same name, the streamable Sandra Bullocks-led flick has been frequently compared to the John Krasinski directed effort, A Quiet Place. These noted similarities could be attributed to their post-apocalyptic settings and the characters being prohibited from using one of the five key senses. Slight spoilers ahead, there are three big differences between the two horror pictures worth diving into.

'Bird Box' vs. 'A Quiet Place' Main Differences:

A Story About a Woman's Journey vs. A Story About a Family's Journey

Bird Box is in the business of focusing more on a pregnant woman's journey into motherhood as she learns to survive in dire times. While she does care and provide for her two children, the theme of motherhood comes more into play in the film's latter half.

While A Quiet Place stars high-profile couple Krasinski and Emily Blunt, it doesn't really have one central character. In October, The Hollywood Reporter reported how Paramount Pictures and Krasinski aimed to enter the film's entire cast into the best supporting actor category for the Academy Awards. THR claimed that "they have decided the film is a true ensemble with no actual lead."

Survival by All Means vs. Maintaining Normalcy

Bird Box is ultimately one large test for Malorie (Bullock). She has to learn to survive by any means necessary as she seeks shelter when her sister, Jessica (Sarah Paulson), dies after crashing her car upon seeing the monsters. She seeks shelter in a home with others stranded following the initial attack, which wiped out most civilians. She learns how to maneuver blindfolded, protect herself and to successfully venture into the world to retrieve necessities, when needed. More importantly, she learns the importance of being a caring and loving mother. This was no easy feat for Malorie, who initially referred to her kids as "Boy" and "Girl." She often neglected "Girl," who is a child she adopted after her friend died seeing the creatures following birth.

"I think it finally shows mothers and what they're capable of and what they are," Bullock told The Hollywood Reporter in December.

Like Bird Box, A Quiet Place is about survival and family. However, it primarily aims to tell the story of a hopeful family who is determined to make the best of their situation and live happily. Evelyn (Blunt) still teaches son Marcus (Noah Jupe) math, the children play board games, Lee (Krasinski) and Evelyn listen to music together with earbuds, and they're preparing to welcome another child. A Quiet Place, in fact, begins after the apocalypse as the Abbotts are well-adjusted to the new world whereas Bird Box depicts how society unravels with it.

"They're trying to have a normal life," A Quiet Place producer Brad Fuller told Newsweek in April. "Evelyn's character is optimistic and believes that things will get back to the way that they were before the invasion. She's hopeful, and that's why she got pregnant."

The Loss of a Vital Sense and How This Affects the Characters

The sight vs. sound comparison has been the most obvious link Bird Box and A Quiet Place have to each other, but the loss of the senses in each film hold different repercussions. One small peep in A Quiet Place could lead to death as sound-hunting monsters seek those who dare utter the smallest of sounds. Bird Box, on the contrary, explores the loss of sight as the characters are forced to navigate the outside world blindfolded. If they dare look, they will be exposed to mysterious monsters.

Bird Box's loss of sight is much worse and more severe than A Quiet Place's challenge to live mute. Bullock's character Malorie, in fact, had to train her and her children to maneuver safely without sight. The family even has to blindly move across a violent body of water. It's much easier to remain silent, as one can write notes. The Abbotts utilized sign language, but they also had systems set up around their home to communicate in case of emergency.