Genre: Thriller/Horror
Director: Mike Flanagan
Writer: APJ
Based on the short story by Daphne du Maurier and the 1963 film
Cast: Margot Robbie, Luke Evans, Anjelica Huston, Josephine Langford, Robin Tunney, Colin Ford, Brett Cullen
Plot: Off the shores of Bodega Bay, California, a fishing boat is getting ready to call it a day. The boat's Captain (Brett Cullen) notices dozens of birds circling above the vessel. He tells his men to hurry up and get all the fish on ice before it goes bad and they have to feed their day's work to the pesky birds. Suddenly, the birds swoop down and begin pecking at the captain. He swats at them to get them to go away, but more birds arrive and also attack the captain and his crew. The fishing boat, unattended due to the crew defending themselves from the birds, crashes into some rocks, causing the boat to topple over. The birds continue pecking and clawing at the captain and his crew. The captain watches in horror as a bird pecks out one of his men's eyeballs and begins eating it. He slowly crawls down into the hull of the boat where they store the fish on ice. He hides among the fish, shivering and waiting for the birds to go away, slowly freezing to death.
In his house in the Hollywood Hills, screenwriter Mitch Taylor (Luke Evans) is in his bedroom staring down at a jewelry box containing an engagement ring. His famous actress girlfriend Melanie Hunter (Margot Robbie) enters the room, and Mitch quickly hides the ring inside of a suitcase. Melanie asks him if he's done packing for their trip. He smiles and says he is. Melanie asks him again where they're going and he says it's a surprise, but that it is someplace he's been wanting to take her for some time now. As they north along the coast, Melanie asks if they're going to San Francisco. Mitch says close, but not quite. They drive past San Francisco, and arrive at a sign welcoming them to Bodega Bay. Mitch tells her it's his hometown and decides to divulge the surprise. He has brought her there so that she can meet his family.
Melanie and Mitch arrive at a large house overlooking the ocean. Mitch's mother Lydia (Anjelica Huston) excitedly comes out to greet them. She runs right past Mitch in order to give Melanie a big hug. She tells Melanie that Mitch has never brought any one to town to meet them so she is extra excited. Mitch's sister Annie (Robin Tunney) tries to get her daughter Cathy (Josephine Langford) off of her phone and to come outside to say hello to her uncle. Cathy says she's busy right now, but that she'll see uncle Mitch later. Annie comes outside and gives Mitch a hug. Mitch asks where Cathy is, and Annie tells her that she's inside texting her boyfriend or something. Melanie, Mitch and his family eat lunch outside as Lydia and Annie barrage Melanie with questions.
After lunch, Mitch and Melanie go on a romantic walk along the water. They make their way to a wharf. Mitch tells Melanie that he used to fish there all the time as a kid. Mitch gets down on one knee. Suddenly a gull begins attacking him. Melanie tries hitting the bird with her purse to scare it off, but more birds start to arrive. Melanie and Mitch begin running back to the house as several birds chase after, pecking and clawing at them. Melanie and Mitch finally make it back to the house. They rush inside and lock the door. They then notice that they have interrupted Cathy and her boyfriend James (Colin Ford). Mitch asks Cathy where Lydia and Annie are, and she says they went to the grocery store in town. Melanie looks out the window as dozens upon dozens of birds all land on their car and stare back toward the house. She tells Mitch to look outside, and he is shocked at the sight, and suggests that the birds are trying to keep them from leaving.
Meanwhile in town, Lydia and Annie are at the check-out of the local grocery store when birds starts slamming against the store's large front windows. Birds continue slamming against it until the window shatters. Hundreds of birds begin violently attacking the shoppers. Lydia and Annie run out of the store with their groceries and into the car. They start the car and begin driving back to the house. Just as they are about to turn onto their street, an out of control truck hits their car. Mitch, Melanie, James and Cathy hear the crash from the house and look outside. They see the car turned up on its side at the end of the street. Cathy says she's going out there, but Mitch tells her no, that he will go out to help. Cathy tells James that he better go out and help too. Melanie gives Mitch a kiss and tells him to be quick.
Mitch and James arm themselves with a baseball bat and tennis racket, respectively, and run towards the tipped over car outside. When they get closer they call out for Lydia and Annie. Annie manages to yell out in response. Annie climbs out of the car, but Lydia was knocked unconscious by the crash. Mitch tells James and Annie to get back to the house while he gets his mother out of the car. When James and Annie make it back to the house, Melanie demands to know where Mitch is. They tell her he is still trying to get Lydia out of the car. Melanie grabs the tennis racket from James and runs out of the house. Mitch is swatting away birds while he tries to get his mother out of the car. Finally, he manages to kick the windshield out, so he can pull his mother free. Birds attack Mitch's face, leaving him with a slash across his forehead. Melanie arrives and begins hitting birds away with the tennis racket. Together, Mitch and Melanie carry Lydia all the way back to the house. Cathy asks her mother Annie if James can stay the night since it isn't safe outside right now. Annie begrudgingly agrees, but tells James to stick to the couch in the living room. A bird suddenly crashes through the house's front window. Mitch kills the bird. Melanie tells everyone that they need to cover the windows with anything they can find before more birds make their way inside.
That night, Cathy sneaks downstairs to the living room where James is sleeping. He asks her what she's doing, and she reminds him that her mother said he had to stay in the living room, nothing about her staying in her room. They begin kissing on the couch, but quickly hides under the blankets when she hears the noise of someone walking down the stairs. James pretends to be asleep as Annie sneaks out of the house and on to the porch to smoke a cigarette. She Mitch and Melanie are laying in bed trying to sleep. Mitch asks Melanie if she is still awake, and she confirms. Mitch turns on the light and gets back down on one knee. He acknowledges that it isn't the most opportune time, but he brought her to Bodega Bay to ask her to marry him. He holds out the ring. Melanie happily begins nodding her head and gives Mitch a kiss as he puts the ring on her finger. Melanie wakes up to a fluttering sound coming from above the room. She goes up into the attic and looks around, but doesn't see anything until she is attacked by a dozen birds, who peck and claw at her. Mitch arrives and pulls her out of the attic. He asks her if she's okay. She has several scratches, but other than that is alright. He tells her that she needs to get some sleep.
In the morning, Lydia is up and moving, making breakfast. The rest of the house all makes their way into the kitchen for the meal, but Annie is nowhere to be seen. Lydia asks where Annie is, but nobody has seen her all morning. This worries Cathy and she goes upstairs to look. James quietly comments that he saw Annie sneak outside in the middle of the night with a pack of cigarettes. Mitch and Melanie go outside, where they find Annie's lifeless body on the side of the house. Her eyes have been pecked out by birds. Melanie and Mitch run back inside. When they report what they found, Cathy begins crying in Lydia's arms. James tries calling his parents, but they aren't answering their phones.
As the group finishes up their breakfast, birds begin making their way into the house through the fireplace chimney. Melanie yells that everyone has to get out of the house. Melanie gets behind the wheel of Mitch's car while Mitch helps Lydia out to the vehicle. James and Cathy jump into the car's backseat. Melanie slowly drives away from the house as birds circle above the car. James demands that they drive to his family's house so he can check on his parents. Melanie is initially against the idea, but gives in when Cathy pleads with her. They drive past James' house. The windows are all shattered and birds perch from the gutters of the house. James begins crying and demands to be let out. Cathy holds on to him, insisting there's nothing James can do and that he's safer with them. James exits the car anyways and runs into his house. Melanie asks Mitch what she should do. Mitch says to give James a minute, but if birds start attacking the car, to start driving. Lydia holds Cathy's hand as she looks out the window toward James' house. The house suddenly explodes in a ball of fire. Melanie speeds away from the house while Lydia tries to sooth Cathy.
Melanie, Mitch, Lydia and Cathy resume their drive south down the coast. Cathy tries using her phone, but the cellular service is out. Melanie asks if they think the birds are a problem back in Los Angeles as well. Mitch says there's only one way to find out and puts hand on Melanie's shoulder.
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