Overview
A seemingly idyllic coastal town becomes a battleground against nature's fury.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Brutal
- foreboding
- eerie
- claustrophobic
- classic horror night
- halloween viewing
What critics said
Critics broadly regard the film as a formally accomplished and influential Hitchcock horror classic, praising its suspense and imagery while remaining divided over its implausible premise and thin explanation.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Thousands of birds attack residents and visitors in Bodega Bay without any stated cause or governing explanation.
The attacks grow from a seagull strike into mass assaults, yet neither characters nor viewers receive a definitive cause.
The pet shop, schoolhouse, playground, home, and coastal roads become sites of coordinated bird attacks.
The film juxtaposes panic and violence with clipped conversations, eccentric locals, and Hitchcockian tongue-in-cheek touches.
Films like The Birds, and why
Jaws
shared natural horror, escalating suspense, isolated community, and unexplained environmental threat
Psycho
shared alfred hitchcock suspense, ordinary people facing inexplicable danger, and claustrophobic survival tension
Invasion of the Body Snatchers
shared creature-feature premise, mounting panic, practical effects, and anxiety about human vulnerability
The Shallows
shared seaside setting, ominous atmosphere, family melodrama, and sudden attacks by animals
Movie Details
- Director
- Alfred Hitchcock
- Release Date
- 1963-03-28
- Runtime
- 119 min
- Rating
- 7.5 / 10 (4590)
Cast
- Tippi Hedren
- Rod Taylor
- Jessica Tandy
- Suzanne Pleshette
- Veronica Cartwright
- Ethel Griffies
- Charles McGraw
- Ruth McDevitt
- Lonny Chapman
- Joe Mantell
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Peacock Premium, Peacock Premium Plus
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is The Birds about?
- A glamorous woman visiting a coastal town is drawn into a baffling siege as ordinary birds turn violently against humanity.
- What is The Birds like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Birds as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is The Birds violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in The Birds as brutal.
- What did critics think of The Birds?
- Critics broadly regard the film as a formally accomplished and influential Hitchcock horror classic, praising its suspense and imagery while remaining divided over its implausible premise and thin explanation.
- Which films are like The Birds?
- Films with a similar feel include Jaws, Psycho, Invasion of the Body Snatchers, and The Shallows.
- How long is The Birds?
- The Birds runs 119 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Birds?
- In United States, The Birds streams on Peacock Premium, Peacock Premium Plus.
