Sandra Bullock in Bird Box.

Nothing like the holidays for snuggling under a blanket and watching an interactive episode of your favorite bleak, tech-obsessed TV show. It's almost as if Netflix knows we have more time to spend in front of the screen the last week of the year. That's probably why it released Bird Box on Dec. 21.

Sandra Bullock stars in this postapocalyptic thriller directed by Academy Award-winning Danish filmmaker Susanne Bier (In a Better World) and based on the novel of the same name by Josh Malerman. More than 45 million Netflix accounts streamed Bird Box over the first seven days after its release. That's the best first week for a Netflix film, according to a tweet by the service.

I was one of the millions who watched. Unlike some film critics, I don't think Bird Box was written by an algorithm. Mainly because it looks like another 2018 postapocalyptic thriller with horror notes: A Quiet Place. And nobody accused the star, co-writer and director of that film, John Krasinski, of having crafted his movie formulaically to reach the maximum audience.

I'm not saying Bird Box copies A Quiet Place. It's just that, as others have noticed as well, they share a number of similarities. Here are the main ones. Yes, there are spoilers ahead.

Trevante Rhodes and Sandra Bullock in Bird Box.

Emily Blunt and John Krasinski in A Quiet Place.

Did I miss any similarity between the two movies? Let us know in the comments.

Also, have you considered the #AQuietPlaceChallenge? It's basically moving in complete silence and keeping your mouth shut, while trying to never bother your co-workers, friends or family members again. It sure feels a lot safer than the #BirdBoxChallenge. Shhhhhh! 

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