Welcome back and happy new year my friends and loyal readers!
I know I have been neglecting my poor blog, what with work being so busy, and taking a much-needed break over the holidays. But I promise I have been reading and watching movies this whole time, so I have a ton of material rolling around my brain!
Since Bird Box is all people are talking about right now, it seemed fitting to start 2019 with a good “Book vs Movie” post.
Like many people, I was counting down the days till Netflix dropped this hugely anticipated movie. I hadn’t read the book yet but Theresa did (Read her review), and even though her review had me curious, I actually wanted to see the movie first.
Bird Box “The Movie”
Wow! I can’t rave enough about it! I absolutely loved this movie, and I’ve even watched it a second time with Hubby. Sandra Bullock is fan-frikin-tastic in this! I mean, I love her anyway, but I really appreciate when she steps out of her ‘Hollywood Darling’ shoes and does work with some edge.
Really, the entire cast was brilliant (um John Malkovich anyone?!) and I loved how ‘Tom’s’ character was reimagined. Not that I knew that until I read the book after, but I really enjoyed his character.
The tension and drama were so entertaining, and I’m sure I’m not alone here when I say that I really appreciate the fact that these unseen entities are never actually revealed. I know there are lots of memes going around about snake babies, but the movie itself left it up to the viewers to imagine what these things looked like, and that made it so much scarier.
If you haven’t watched it yet (Unlikely at this point lol), then this is your next Netflix pick. In my opinion it is an A+ movie.
Bird Box “The Book”
While the credits were still rolling, I quickly grabbed my Kobo to buy the book. Bonus? Because of all the hype, it was on sale for $1.99!!!! How great is that?
Anyway, I started reading the book immediately after the movie ended, and like the movie, I was hooked instantly.
Obviously as it is a book, there is a little more story building in the beginning, in comparison to the book, but like the film, the timeline flips back and forth between 5 years prior and the present.
The writing is great, and the characters are well-developed, but I liked the movie version of ‘Mallory’ better. Sandra Bullock just brings her to life, and that was the biggest difference for me. I don’t want to risk spoilers, so I apologize for being vague, but overall, the book is entertaining and the film is a fairly faithful adaptation. The biggest difference would be some character changes, who did what, what they did in the house, etc… which was a bit weird since I got attached to the ones in the film.
Honestly, I very much enjoyed both, but in this case, I liked the movie more. It’s rare but it does happen occasionally.
I would love to hear your thoughts on this. Let’s chat!
Reads & Reels 
Enjoyed the movie, which I saw first.. LOVED the book. Though I’m not sure I would’ve liked the movie as much if I read the book first. I was blown away by the story the author was able to tell… and the gradual, rising chaos of the birth scene??? WOW.
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Right? I feel the same way. Because I watched the movie first I loved it. I’m not sure I would have felt the same way had I read the book first.
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I was so excited when I saw you were doing a book vs. movie post for this. 🙂 I was kind of late to the party compared to everyone else when it came to watching the movie, but I would definitely like to read the book at some point, too, now. I always think it’s fun to experience both and see their differences/similarities. 😀
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It was a thumbs up all around at our house for the movie. I read the book over four years ago, so couldn’t remember enough about it to see what had changed in the movie.
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Great movie though! Liked the book, loved the movie!
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I really enjoyed both!
When i read the book i did wonder how it’s gonna look like on film, but i think they did a good job 😀 And i rarely say that for adaptations.
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Yes it was a great adaptation! I love when that happens
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Oh this was such a disturbing book, I’ll have to check out the movie! Fab review!
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Thanks Berit! The movie is soooo goood! Sandra Bullock is amazing in it!
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I loved the book, I read it back in 2016, so I have been patiently waiting for the movie. I loved the movie, but the book wins for me, although it is one of the best book-to-movie adaptations I’ve seen. Sandra Bullock did an amazing job as Mallory, and I just loved Girl. I also thought the book was more unsettling, more intense (but that might also be because I knew what to expect with the movie), the movie was more emotionally driven than I originally anticipated.
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Yes! That’s what I found with the movie too. I actually cried a few times. Not so with the book. It’s very possible that I liked the movie more because I saw it first. I found it more intense, more vivid! The book is still fantastic though!
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Now I’m going to have to watch a movie. Or should I read the book first?
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I don’t think it matters in this case but I usually watch the movies first so I’m not disappointed.
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I totally agree with movie Mallory being the better of the two, but I did find the tensions much higher in the book. I read it when it was first released and was super excited to see Netflix adapt it. Im undecided whether I prefer the book or movie.. at a push I’d say I lean towards the book.
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I think readers will prefer the book if they read it before seeing the movie and vice versa. I think we can all agree it was a great adaptation!
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I need to see this movie! I’ve heard so much about it. There’s even a Birdbox challenge happening because of the movie- crazy!
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I’ve heard and it’s dangerous! People can be so stupid lol! The movie is great! A must see!
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This is so nice – I’ve been waiting for a review just like this to show up on my feed. Thanks for the comparison, I’ve read the book and was wondering if to what the movie! So glad to see Sandra Bullock do a different character!
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Oh it’s fantastic! I hope you like it as much as I did 🙂
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I listened to the audiobook of this and I enjoyed it but I agree I prefer the movie over the book. I was left with so many questions once I finished it. I will say I actually teared up while watching the movie at one point.
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Oh me too! The movie just had more energy I think! It was so good!
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Yeah I actually ended up watching it twice in December.
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Lol so did I 🤣
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