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Bird Box is Netflix’s most-watched film, company says in rare announcement. Here’s how many people watched it

Sandra Bullock’s recent thriller, Bird Box, is Netflix’s most-watched film in the first seven days of release, the company has said in a rare announcement. Here’s how many accounts streamed it.

Dec 31, 2018, 16:51:12 IST
Hindustan Times | By , New Delhi
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Netflix has revealed that the recent Sandra Bullock-starrer, Bird Box, has become the company’s most streamed film in its first seven days of release. In a tweet on December 28, Netflix announced that the thriller had been streamed by over 45 million accounts.

Sandra Bullock in a still from Netflix’s Bird Box. (Saeed Adyani/Netflix)
Sandra Bullock in a still from Netflix’s Bird Box. (Saeed Adyani/Netflix)

“Took off my blindfold this morning to discover that 45,037,125 Netflix accounts have already watched Bird Box — best first 7 days ever for a Netflix film!” read the tweet, which was accompanied by a GIF of Bullock’s character in the film taking off her blindfold.

Directed by Danish filmmaker Susanne Bier, the ensemble film tells the harrowing story of a reluctant mother who must fight to save her children from invisible monsters in a post-apocalyptic world. Anyone who sees the monsters is compelled to commit suicide - hence the blindfolds. The film has been compared to M Night Shyamalan’s 2008 film, The Happening, and John Krasinski’s recent critically acclaimed horror movie, A Quiet Place.

Netflix rarely reveals viewing figures, and even when it does, keeps it vague. For example, the 45 million figure doesn’t identify exactly how many people watched the film. Every Netflix ‘account’ accommodates five users.

On the few other occasions that the streaming giant has revealed numbers, it announced that over 80 million subscribers watched at least one original romantic comedy earlier this summer, led by the breakout hit To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before. The rom-com became one of the most viewed original films on the platform.

Another, unofficial report from 2017 claimed that the Will Smith-starrer, Bright, was viewed by 11 million subscribers in its first weekend - albeit only those who watched it on a non-mobile device and in the US.

Bird Box has received mixed to positive reviews from critics. The Hindustan Times in its 3.5/5 star review called it a film with ‘taut thrills’ and ‘ambitious ideas’.

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