Bird Box: Barcelona Plot Summary
Currently streaming on Netflix is Bird Box: Barcelona, an apocalyptic thriller about a group of people trying to survive an attack on our planet by an unseen force that drives people to suicide.
The movie takes place during the same timeline as 2018’s Bird Box, but it takes place in Barcelona and focuses on a new group of characters, which include Sebastián (Mario Casas) and his daughter Anna (Alejandra Howard).
At first, Sebastián and Anna appear to be little different to the other survivors that are trying to find refuge from the invading creatures. But not everything is as it seems!
So, what secrets do this father and daughter hold? Do they survive the movie? And is there hope for the rest of humanity? Let’s take a closer look at Bird Box: Barcelona.
What do we learn about Sebastián and Anna?
Early on in the movie, it becomes apparent that Anna is no longer alive. We see Sebastián talking and walking with her, but in a flashback scene, we learn she died by suicide after being abducted by Esteban, the leader of a religious group, who forced her to look at one of the mysterious creatures.
It could be assumed that Sebastian’s grief has affected his mental state and that it is this that causes him to hallucinate the appearance and voice of his daughter. But while he is grief-stricken, there is another reason why he can see and hear her. The creatures have burrowed into his mind and are making him think his daughter is communicating with him.
This isn’t the only thing we learn about Sebastián. During the early part of the movie, he meets another group of survivors. Instead of going into hiding with them, he takes control of a bus that they are sleeping in and drives them into the city. He then makes them lose their blindfolds, which causes them to commit suicide after seeing the creatures.
Why does Sebastián do this? He’s not necessarily a bad man but the creatures have manipulated him into thinking that they are angels. He thinks it is his divine mission to expose others to the creatures as he is of the belief that he is saving them. He also believes his actions will one day reunite him with his daughter in Heaven.
Sebastián is also one of a small number of people who are immune to the creatures. So, while some people are driven to suicide, there are others who aren’t. But Sebastián and people like him aren’t completely out of harm’s way, as their minds can be invaded by these unseen foes. It can be assumed that Esteban had also been taken over by these creatures.
What do we learn about the creatures?
We don’t see the creatures so we don’t know what they look like. It would appear that they are invisible but that they sometimes take on the form of different things, according to whoever is looking at them. It’s as if these creatures know what people want to see before they take over their minds completely.
One person in the movie thinks they are aliens who “will take us to the stars,” while Sebastián thinks they are angels because of his religious beliefs and the influence Esteban previously held over him.
Later in the movie, Sebastián meets another survivor named Claire. She is part of a group that is trying to lead a young girl named Sofia to her mother, who is apparently located in a safe place within the mountains of Barcelona.
Claire offers further insight into what these creatures might be. When speaking to Sebastián, she says: “Those things, they burrow into our brains. They take our beliefs, our fears and they twist them. They turn them into something they can use to manipulate you.”
For Sebastián, the creatures appear as either Anna or angels. For Claire, they appear as her dead brother.
Another character, Octavio, speaks of the “observer effect,” where looking at something changes its appearance from its usual form. He reveals that this form can be related to “your worst fears, your deepest sadness or your greatest loss,” hence Sebastián’s visions of Anna.
Does Sebastián regain control of his mind?
For the majority of the movie, Sebastián is under the control of the creatures who are mimicking Anna’s voice and appearance so he will carry out their wishes. But during the final chapter of this apocalyptic tale, he is forced into a confrontation with Esteban, the religious leader that convinced him of his divine mission.
Sebastián realizes that Esteban has also lost his mind and this allows him to snap out of his delusion. He fights with Esteban to give Claire and Sofia time to get to safety. At the end of this battle when he overcomes and kills the religious leader, he simultaneously sacrifices his own life.
Sebastián’s death is a sad one but it’s his sacrifice that gives Claire and Sofia the opportunity to escape into the mountains where the girl is reunited with her mother.
Is there hope for humanity?
At the end of the movie, Claire is examined by a scientist who takes a sample of her blood. The scientist explains that “in rare cases, extreme forms of stress can affect people’s DNA, change it even.” This is what happened to Sebastián who experienced great stress when he saw his daughter kill herself.
This change in DNA is also the reason why some people are immune to the creatures. They can still be manipulated into doing what the creatures want but they aren’t driven towards suicide after seeing them.
The scientist believes the blood of those who are immune could be the key to saving others from seeing the creatures.
The movie ends with a scientist injecting rats with the blood taken from an immune survivor. The rats are then put into a locked room with one of the creatures. We don’t get to see the entity but we do hear it let out a terrifying roar. This is a test to see how long the rats can remain exposed to the creature. But as the rats die shortly after entry into the room, it would appear more time is needed to work on a solution to the monster problem.
Read More: Bird Box: Barcelona Movie Review
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Hey G, thanks for the comment. I did watch the film but I’m guessing I failed to include the heart rate monitor in my notes. Sorry about that. The article has now been adjusted.
That is not how the movie ends, did you even watch it? There are 3 rats each fitted with heart rate monitors. All three monitors deadline indicating the death of all three rats.