Stephen King 'Riveted' by Netflix's Sandra Bullock Thriller 'Bird Box'

The monarch of horror himself, Stephen King had some complimentary words for Bird Box last week [...]

By Michael Hein

The monarch of horror himself, Stephen King had some complimentary words for Bird Box last week when the movie made its Netflix debut.

Bird Box hit Netflix on Friday, Dec. 21 with little promotion, yet it still soared to the heights instant popularity. On Friday, Netflix announced that the movie had been viewed more than 45 million times in its first week, and some prominent voices have showered it in praise. Among them was King, who posted about the movie on Twitter.

"I was absolutely riveted by BIRD BOX (Netflix)," he wrote. "Don't believe the lukewarm reviews, which may in part have been caused by reviewers' ambivalence to the streaming platform, as opposed to theatrical releases."

"One might say movie reviewers suffer from the dread NP syndrome: Netflix Prejudice," King added shortly after.

The author is something of an authority on horror and thrillers, and fans took his endorsement seriously. Many followers responded saying that they would check out the new movie now that King had recommended it. Others asked King what he thought of the original book.

Bird Box is a post-apocalyptic story originally told in the debut novel of author Josh Malerman. The book was published in 2014, and was adapted somewhat loosely for the film. It follows a woman named Malorie (Bullock) through a non-linear story full of shocking twists and tragedy.

A few days after his praise for Bird Box, King posted another tweet about his habit of endorsing movies, TV shows and books on Twitter. The author wields a lot of influence, and he noted that some people ask him why he only posts positive reviews.

"Someone asked me if there are books/movies/TV shows I DON'T like," King tweeted. "There are plenty, but I don't write about them. 'Don't say nuthin' if you got nuthin' good to say' is pretty fair advice."

Most fans felt that this policy was working for King, listing things that they had found on his recommendation alone.

"I read/watch everything you recommend," one person wrote. "You never disappoint!"

"I love Bird Box and appreciate the recommendation," added another. "I thought it was better than [A Quiet Place]."

In addition to Bullock, Bird Box also stars Trevante Rhodes, Jacki Weaver, Rosa Salazar, Danielle Macdonald, Lil Rel Howery, Tom Hollander, BD Wong, Sarah Paulson, Colson Baker and John Malkovich. The movie is now streaming on Netflix.

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