Bird Box is, in many ways, the quintessential Netflix blockbuster. Released in late 2018, the dystopian thriller received deservedly mixed reviews from critics but went on to become the most-watched film that Netflix had released up to that point. Despite the momentary attention it received, though, Bird Box wasn’t all that unique or memorable, which is why its place in the pop cultural conversation came and went about as quickly as the viral trends it inspired on social media. Five years later, Netflix is nonetheless releasing its first Bird Box spinoff this week in a bid to turn one of its biggest “hits” into a full-fledged franchise.
