David Farnor | On 04, Jan 2019

Netflix has pleaded with fans this week not to take the “Bird Box Challenge”.

The Challenge is a reference to its most recent Netflix original movie, Bird Box, a thriller that sees a mysterious force decimate the world’s population: if you see it, you take your life. Sandra Bullock stars as Malorie, who flees with her two children (called Boy and Girl) down a treacherous river to the one place left that may offer sanctuary – a perilous journey they undertake blindfolded.

Now, Netflix has taken to Twitter to beg fans not to partake in the “Bird Box Challenge”.

“Can’t believe I have to say this but: PLEASE DO NOT HURT YOURSELVES WITH THIS BIRD BOX CHALLENGE. We don’t know how this started, and we appreciate the love, but Boy and Girl have just one wish for 2019 and it is that you not end up in the hospital due to memes,” tweeted the account on Wednesday.

The purported craze, though, only appeared online as a meme after the tweet, which has since received 59,957 retweets. People have, indeed, dutifully followed suit and started carrying out their own Bird Box Challenges, which involve undertaking tasks while blindfolded.

Fvck this bird box challenge 😂😂😂@TheShadeRoomm @WORLDSTAR @iamcardib @TMZ @HarveyLevinTMZ pic.twitter.com/EZgmVTQh6G

— GIVONNA DETOX (@HOODDIVA) December 26, 2018

Netflix: Don't do the #BirdBoxChallenge.

Me: pic.twitter.com/vZm3xbZvni

— Christian Zamora (@Christian_Zamo) January 3, 2019

The move is a smart step from Netflix’s increasingly savvy social media department, which has recently reorganised its online presence to include @seewhatsnext for news updates, @NXOnNetflix for genre-related content, @strongblacklead for highlight diverse shows and talent, @NetflixIsAJoke for Netflix’s comedy and @NetflixFilm for its original movies. Previous social media smarts have ranged from tweeting about to its first original Christmas movie last year, A Christmas Prince, to responding to the huge fandom that surrounded hit rom-com To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before.

To the 53 people who've watched A Christmas Prince every day for the past 18 days: Who hurt you?

— Netflix US (@netflix) December 11, 2017

THE OFFICIAL NETFLIX ACCOUNT’S BIO IS A MOOD pic.twitter.com/k1gecFCW80

— mari 112 (@hemsthorth) August 20, 2018

Bird Box, though, didn’t need the added social boost for publicity: directed by Susanne Bier (The Night Manager), the movie has already been a smash hit for Netflix, with more than 45 million accounts streaming the movie in its first seven days – a new record for a Netflix film.

“Sandra Bullock anchors this survival thriller in the immediate, simple terror of its premise,” we wrote in our review.

 

Bird Box is available on Netflix UK, as part of an £9.99 monthly subscription.

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