Netflix released the first Bird Box back in 2018 to a mild response from critics but as the days and weeks went by it became a bigger and bigger hit with audiences looking for something good to watch over the holidays. This woman’s and her daughter’s story of survival in the face of unimaginable odds was just what the doctor ordered. So like a lot of their films, Netflix greenlit a sequel straight away. That’s where Bird Box Barcelona comes in.

This second film in the Bird Box world is about a man Sebastian (Mario Casas)  and his daughter Anna (Alejandra Howard) who are walking around in Barcelona. They find a group of survivors who they join up with. When something tragic happens to the group members they are on their own. Until they find another group who they befriend. This time they try to convince the second group to go with them to a potential sanctuary state. 

This film is primarily in Spanish which is dubbed in English for US residents who don’t speak Spanish. It uses a flashback scenario from nine years before when the epidemic is currently taking place. This allows audiences to get to know this man and his daughter’s backstory. It shows mass suicides, and news reports and introduces a priest character to the story. We get the feeling of the spirit that exists that corrupts people’s minds and shows them a light which in turn makes them kill themselves. 

This is the other side of the story from the first film. It’s a relatively short film of only 100 minutes or so so it gets into the story rather quickly. The second group with dogs and a little German girl is the bulk of the story though. The city looks all destroyed like it was involved in a war, This adds another obstacle to the group and element to the film. Everything you’d think wouldn’t be of use like a gondola is very useful in the context of the story.

David and Alex Pastor brought a different side to this world of Bird Box to viewers. The writing is slightly different except for the fact that it’s mainly about a man and his daughter with a twist thrown in for good measure. The supporting characters including a woman and a little girl play a huge part in the climax of the story. From this perspective, it’s similar to the original film in this series. Other than that it’s quite fresh. 

Bird Box Barcelona isn’t bringing anything new to the epidemic or post-apocalyptic genre. It has a story we’ve seen a lot lately regarding an adult man or woman who is escorting a child around a damaged world for one reason or another. The Spanish aspect added a new element to this series that was created back in 2018. The writers and directors kept me engaged throughout the hundred-minute runtime. This was a good addition to this series.

3 ½ stars

Dan Skip Allen