I just watched Bird Box. Everyone was telling me to see it, including a close friend who was incredibly persistent. I was kind of reluctant 1. because it's a Netflix original 2. because everyone was watching it (not usually a good sign, at least for me). I'm very glad I did though. I enjoyed it immensely and found it extremely gripping.
SPOILERS
The moment I was done with it I went online to see what other people made of the story and the films strong emphasis on mental health, expecting a very positive reaction and instead sadly have come across think piece after think piece with people up in arms, furious at the films supposed negative portrayal of mental health, worrying it will increase the stigma mental illness already carries. I think clearly peoples brains were working in very different ways to mine when watching it. The film itself was strange and very open to different interpretations, but I think something is very wrong if you're so eagerly tying yourself specifically to groups of evil, bad spirit possessed humans, driving around this apocalyptic world, trying to get people to commit suicide. That's not common day to day mental health problems there, that's being a psychopathic scumbag. So many who have seen the movie for some reason are believing those people to be the films portrayal of mental health sufferers, and quite frankly it's floored me. For goodness sake, how can they be so (excuse the pun) blind? Hey, how about taking those bad people, and looking at them not as people but as the dark part in our heads, in the main character Malorie's head? It's the part that tells us to give up. That things would be better if we weren't here. It's the darkness many of us experience. The film to me is about suicide prevention. If anything it should be an eyeopener to people, showing the thoughts that some fellow human beings go through. It should be something that help to break the taboo attached to mental health. I think it's a shame it's causing anger and frustration.
Near the beginning of the film we see Malorie's sister kill herself. Malorie doesn't understand why she'd do such a thing, commenting on how sad she looked, and that her sister "never gets sad". That's the films first message there. You can't always tell when someone is battling demons, and how serious those demons are. I think that Malorie is the one who was mentally ill. It's hard to tell but that's the whole point. We see this at the start of the film when she's talking with her sister. Two things we learn very early on: Malorie is pregnant without a partner and she's reclusive. She's having a baby that she ponders over putting up for adoption after the doctor hands her a pamphlet. She's fairly talkative though and witty in a sort of deadpan kind of way, making banter with her sister. Very soon the world around her starts to go insane, so it's easy to lose focus on any mental health related clues given, and again, I think that is part of the whole point here. You can't tell that Malorie is suffering in a deep way here. All she wants to do throughout the film is help people when she needs help herself too. She appears to be silently suffering from antenatal depression, but has a deceivingly tough outer shell. The fact that the monsters themselves are unseeable is perhaps the films most powerful and important metaphor, as them being invisible unless the blindfold is taken off portrays a good portion of our society today and it's relationship with mental health and those who face struggles. We don't see it or we're scared or too awkward when faced with it.
I've seen many trying to argue the proof of the films supposed negative portrayal of people with mental health issues quoting Gary, the man from outside that the group of survivors let into their safe house, who tells them that "insane" people have been traveling without blindfolds unaffected by the entity (if you see the entities you commit suicide) and were going around mad, killing people by forcing their blindfolds off. Gary ten minutes later kills almost everyone in the house by doing exactly this. He's a liar. He's the dark voice that can be in your head telling you you're "insane". I don't think viewers are being attentive enough, and are taking things as a result too literal. The unseen entity along with the crazy humans I believe are metaphors for the voices inside a sufferers head. I've seen people who could only manage half the film, tweeting others, urging them not to watch it because of it's upsetting portrayal of mental health issues. That's anus. I say watch it because it's clever, an eyeopener and has a beautiful ending, that's a touching and thought-provoking payoff for the journey you'll go on. Not everything is sunshine and roses. Not everything is straightforward. Not everyone is as they may have you believe they are. But everyone has the chance to reach sanctuary on earth and find happiness. I think the three birds Malorie carried around in a cage throughout the film were also a metaphor. Malorie and her two children like the birds were trapped living this dark, seemingly hopeless life. At the end of the film they released the birds into the sanctuary to be free. They made it through the journey together.
I can understand people who'd want to avoid this film. It's not an easy watch or very pleasant. It's harrowing at times. If you're going to write a think piece on it though and tell people not to watch it, whilst demanding trigger warnings, at least delve a bit deeper in first. I didn't think that Bird Box was the best film I ever watched. The acting in places was a bit.. ham. But I can't remember the last time a film made me think this deeply over what it's trying to convey. There's so many clever things about it.
That scene made me look away as well.
The whole next bit that followed was horrific. There was something so surreal about that film.. how a man was somehow able to run naked through an apartment whilst sporting a chainsaw. I thought the ending perhaps let the film down a tad though. I was under the impression that he was actually just a mentally disturbed man who was imagining all these things, and that he probably didn't kill anyone. I read though that the director was actually disappointed with how they handled the ending, and that Patrick was indeed a serial killer. The fact the ending left people confused was a regret of theirs. Oh well, great movie still though.
Whitney (2018) - probably the best documentary about Whitney Houston. Honest, showing all sides of the family. Imho she was too dependent of them + there were ineviatble things that influenced her childhood. I totally see those parallels with Michael Jackson. 
And that's liberal CNN. 