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The Birds

The Birds

1963
Drama, Suspense/Thriller
1h 59m
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Avg Percentile 62.25% from 7612 total ratings

Ratings & Reviews

(7612)
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Rated 22 Jan 2021
85
63rd
One of the biggest "That was it?" endings of all time.
Rated 07 Dec 2006
79
64th
Hitch's most enigmatic film. In every other movie, the enemy is human, and the mystery always has an explanation. It's the sense of the unknown which makes The Birds so terrifying. They can't be stopped or reasoned with, you can't find their psychological weakness or track down the evidence to put them away. The premise is a bit silly and the effects now look dated, but it's still thrilling. Rod Taylor is stiff as a board, but Tippi Hedren is wonderful.
Rated 19 Dec 2009
30
24th
Interesting concept ruined by aggravating, dare I say unlikable, characters with simplistic dialogue. Hedren is just downright annoying. This is one of the few films where I've found myself wishing some of the characters would just shut up. The suspense is lost when Hitchcock keeps having to remind the viewer of events that happened just a few minutes ago. The final few scenes are particularly suspenseful because the characters are finally silent and it's only then that the horror becomes real.
Rated 10 Oct 2018
96
90th
One of my new favorite scary movies. Unlike a majority of modern horror films, this lets the main characters develop a little bit and interact with each other on a level that feels personal, and quite real. The dialogue was excellent! I also found some scenes to be really damn scary, especially everything after the power outage. Some of the shots feel dated and cliche by now, but all in all, Hitchcock directed this very effectively. I loved what he did with the concept and story. Excellent.
Rated 25 Dec 2010
100
98th
Divested of all logic, this assault on middle-class complacency exposes Hitchcock's sadistic tendencies as nakedly as they have ever been. There is a lightening of load thanks to the absence of human villainy and all the creaky contrivance normally found in Hitchcock's depiction of it. At the same time, the director's stylistic devices -- the intricate scene construction, the brilliant Pop Art color, the throwaway drolleries -- have never been seen in better working condition.
Rated 18 Feb 2007
3
38th
A bit cheesy and unconvincing (Birds attacking? I give it points for relentless mystery, but still), and far from a masterpiece. However, I was shocked as hell when they showed the one guy with his eyes pecked out. I was not expecting that in an Alfred Hitchcock movie.
Rated 18 Jan 2008
80
86th
Surely one of Hitch's better films, if not quite cracking my personal top-10 of his output. After a very slow first act, it picks up and even though it's sort of difficult taking the premise (and, by todays standards, sometimes the execution) seriously, it does ultimately work, mostly because you probably, the next time you walk past a group of birds, will have small flash of some of these scenes and, for a short moment, think: "What if... nooo, they wouldn't."
Rated 23 May 2008
69
37th
Overfuckingrated.
Rated 27 May 2010
66
26th
I, for one, welcome our new winged overlords.
Rated 04 Dec 2012
84
86th
Starts off quite innocent when after a while all hell breaks loose and millions of satanic birds go and attack people. Great ending and sometimes genuinly frightening. It takes some real directing and writing skills to make birds scary
Rated 09 Sep 2007
85
89th
The birds are just a pretext for Hitchcock to show us how different humans react to situations. But what a hell of a thrilling pretext that is! Hitchcock manages to shock and get you all neurotic with this film even 45 years later.
Rated 11 Sep 2009
84
81st
Quite a boring film off the start, but the halfway point marks some extremely entertaining, and (60's) scary scenes. I found myself thoroughly enjoying the bird attacks, and the argument in the diner. It is well done considering the time it was made, and the effects are noticably bad at times, but taking when it was made into consideration, I could see myself shitting my pants in the theatre opening night in 1963.
Rated 03 May 2010
64
48th
Was I watching the same film as all of you? Sure, some of the scenes created suspense well, and the whole concept was rather unusual and original, but it dragged terribly at the start. The acting during some of the suspense scenes, and the long moments of unnecessary silence in places - all a bit meh. Overall, a feeling of indifference for me.
Rated 18 May 2010
80
81st
watched: 2010, 2015, 2023
Rated 07 Feb 2012
81
90th
Hitchcock takes something as simple as a creature that can transfer a deadly virus, and turns it into something terrifying.
Rated 12 Apr 2013
100
99th
The slow build is all a facade. It's an ordinary Hollywood love story that is co-opted by something sinister and absurd in the most nightmarish of ways. The final act is like Hitchcock's version of a zombie movie and he does it better than most can only wish to do.
Rated 28 Jul 2017
80
83rd
Hitchcock's disaster bird plague movie is a fun oddity. There are certainly some creepy suspenseful moments with the winged creatures, however the majority of the person to person interactions can be more tedious than dramatic. Despite its reasonable run-time, the movie feels every minute of it. The dated special effects make the large swarm scenes less effective, however more damning is just the lack of engaging characters. An entertaining drive-in movie from a master director, worth a watch.
Rated 18 Oct 2020
70
48th
I don't know why Hitchcock insisted on making a movie about birds attacking a a town ? But he did and I watched it anyway
Rated 02 Feb 2007
70
39th
Hitchcock's most dated movie. The bird attack scenes come off as rather cartoony and destroy some of the tension the rest of the movie manages to build. I also found the end to be underwhelming. Other than those issues The Birds is a good movie, but in my book it ranks far below his best work.
Rated 27 Mar 2007
70
84th
Gosh, he really threw thousands of birds down the ceiling, where is the animal rights! Essential and basic thriller from the time when it was possible to make these kind of movies.
Rated 30 Mar 2007
80
68th
Total sadistic bastard of a thriller from The Master
Rated 14 Aug 2007
7
84th
Alfred Hitchcock's classic horror movie about birds attacking people. The predecessor to other "animals attacking people" masterpieces like Bats, and Shark Attack 3: Megalodon.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
99
98th
Credit Hitchcock for creating a near masterpiece almost single-handedly, and also one of the best horror flicks in history. This film stays with you, and you'll no doubt think of it whenever a suspiciously large flock of birds is around you.
Rated 08 Mar 2008
50
18th
I love most Hitchcock movies, but I felt that not revealing why the birds attacked or having any sort of resolution was a cop out. I realize it was intentional, but it seemed needlessly bleak.
Rated 27 Jun 2008
77
88th
Nice
Rated 08 Apr 2009
8
78th
Films about war or a nuclear holocaust ('Threads') are more arresting and thought provoking, but Mother Nature can be a bitch as well... When it comes to Hitchcock, expect the unexpected (checking into some psycho's motel, having an uncle who's a murderer, BIRDS,...). Silly maybe but a great film from the renown director. As for that eerie ending... pure cinema!
Rated 08 Mar 2010
6
62nd
Hitchcock successfully explores terror, specifically the human feeling of terror when the bizarre & unexplainable happens. Unlike all of his other major films, no conclusion or climax occurs (nor does it need one), just the fearful scene of birds surrounding the house as the car drives away, it's poetic, the calm before the next storm.
Rated 25 Sep 2010
77
93rd
I was terrifed of Birds for a few years as a child after seeing this. Thanks Dad.
Rated 08 Sep 2011
85
85th
i put this smack dab in between 80 and 90 because i go back and forth on where exactly i feel about this. on one hand, hitchcock knows how to make everything look great and the last hour is gruesome and intense and one of the most thrilling, tense, edge of your seat movie experiences i've ever had the pleasure of indulging in. but on the other hand that first hour could have been 20 or 30 minutes instead. i do appreciate the more fully realized characters...but not the leisurely runtime.
Rated 18 Apr 2012
79
59th
This movie somehow manages to have a few great moments while being cheesy as all hell. On one hand, the lack of music adds a great suspenseful, nightmarish quality that is still quite effective today. On the other hand, the effects are tremendously dated. The actual attack scenes give way to more chuckles than scares. But it's those moments in between the attacks, where the birds are perched and waiting and when the soundtrack is nothing but eerie silence and bird sounds, that the movie shines.
Rated 29 Jan 2018
80
89th
The Birds is an effective horror-thriller about birds attacking people, which both allows us to get to know the characters and gives the film time to generate suspense--and then features several iconic shots once the birds get down to business. While some of the effects don't hold up, they don't detract too much from the overall presentation. It has good characters, lively dialogue exchanges, a great build, and lots of suspense and mystery.
Rated 05 Dec 2006
90
88th
Hitchcock curbs his Freudian elements (though they remain subtly present) in this still-terrifying collection of soaringly cinematic scares.
Rated 04 Jan 2007
78
57th
Strange even for Hitchcock. Hard to say whether Tippy Hedren's affectless performance was what Hitch wanted, or because she couldn't act. Possibly a bit of both. Is it an allegory for nuclear war?
Rated 24 Feb 2007
65
10th
An original plot by a brilliant father of horror movies in Hitchcock, however as much as I'd like to like it I just feel there isn't enough there to like.
Rated 20 Mar 2007
85
86th
Gory for its time, and well-shot and all that. I love it because it's one of those movies I saw as a kid that influenced the way I watch movies in general. "Q: Why are the birds attacking people? A: Because, the birds are attacking people."
Rated 22 Jun 2007
70
33rd
There is no explanation for the bird attack and I just feel like the whole movie was pointless. I don't find the special effects to be good, either, even if I try to evaluate them within the context of their time. I guess I have to ask: what is it about this movie that makes it so 'good' in people's eyes that they rate it so highly? I just don't see it. Bad-stuff-happens does not make for an interesting plot.
Rated 13 Jul 2007
69
73rd
One of the weaker Hitchcocks, as well as being one where his strange and surreal sense of humour sines through. Sometimes it makes you wonder how serious he was being when he made this film, or if it was just a bit of a release. Still enjoyable though, even if the characters aren't as interesting as in most Hictchcock thrillers.
Rated 14 Jul 2007
76
75th
You gotta be impressed by a movie that makes crows and pigeons this scary.
Rated 06 Aug 2007
60
18th
I'm sorry but it aint that special!
Rated 14 Aug 2007
70
26th
It's just birds! Go inside!
Rated 23 Sep 2007
90
95th
One of his best. Co-starring Suzanne Pleshette. Love how the lady ornithologist only adds to the horror by downplaying its possibility.
Rated 07 Nov 2007
100
94th
the best horror film ever
Rated 11 Mar 2008
83
61st
The Birds have aged horribly. The actual attacks are so obviously created by sandwiching a shot of people running between several completely unrelated shots of birds flying that I really couldn't buy the illusion. The suspense Hitch creates before the birds appear is masterful as usual, though.
Rated 21 Mar 2008
2
21st
None of the characters are downright unlikable, just not very interesting, and dive bombing birds just aren't that scary or suspenseful.
Rated 08 Apr 2008
80
81st
This is the reason why I don't like to pass huge numbers of birds when I'm outside. Still, overall not my favorite Hitchcock movie.
Rated 12 Apr 2008
80
95th
Creepy and weird, one of the classics.
Rated 17 Apr 2008
75
37th
Tremendously overrated Hitchcock, but that doesn't mean it's anything less than fun. My favorite part about this movie is the fact that my mother's Romanian-born Holocaust-migrant father took her to see this in the theaters. She was four years old. Oops.
Rated 28 Jul 2008
90
81st
Fantastic film. It really holds up today. Tippi Hedren is gorgeous and those birds still freak me out.
Rated 20 Sep 2008
36
17th
Very overrated. Where was the music? What was up with the first hour? It was, like, a romantic drama film in the first hour.
Rated 29 Dec 2008
95
97th
Absolutely awe-inspiring, apocalyptic, and terrifying. Really powerful metaphorically.
Rated 07 Jan 2009
77
49th
To this day if I see a flock of birds flying around together I think back to this movie
Rated 05 Feb 2009
5
80th
Hitchcock takes mystery to a supernatural level. If you're susceptible enough the level of suspense here is just too much to handle at times; the pre-apocalyptic scenario really adds to this [makes me wonder why so many other films focus on the aftermath instead]. There are shots here that will take your breath away - just an incredible location for photography, but Hitch gets the best out of everything. The ending still gives me the shakes.
Rated 02 Mar 2009
97
98th
without a doubt the hitchcock film i saw the most when i was much younger. the recent viewing confirmed many impressions from years ago plus it opened my eyes to some elements i had either forgetten or overlooked...standout scenes from the recent viewing which i remembered from prior viewings: melanie surprising mitch with a special present, melanie sitting by the school playground, the attack on the gas attendant from the birds perspective are all standout scenes which i had forgotten about.
Rated 02 Jul 2009
85
81st
Not Hitchcock's best, but its certainly up there, and to be anywhere near his best is excellent.
Rated 05 Jul 2009
95
97th
Absolutely suberb dialogue, many interwoven and interesting stories, good acting, beatufiul landscapes and masterly composed and shot. The traumatic ending is all the better. Very psychoanalytic. Must see.
Rated 10 Sep 2009
60
66th
I feel like Hitch was just playing around with this one, but it's still creepy and enjoyable.
Rated 26 Sep 2009
74
58th
Suffers from lead actor nepotism and bad decisionmaking by the characters issue(Which I think,is the biggest problem of the horror genre) But taking such an innocent, non-threatening item of our daily life and turning into a source of terror is pure genious. Although ravens are really scary animals if you have ever come close to one
Rated 24 Oct 2009
90
85th
"An apocalyptic poem" (Federico Fellini)
Rated 24 Feb 2010
55
21st
A classic, but very dated.
Rated 31 Mar 2010
95
92nd
In the hands of another director this could have been a tame and visually embarresing man vs bird flick but in the hands of Alfred Hitchcock this is a masterfully suspenseful and chilling horror tale lced with expertly handled black comedy. One of the greatest horror movies ever made.
Rated 22 Jun 2010
60
53rd
Hitchcock's most dated movie, but also the one most out there (it's basically a creature feature). Birds suddenly turn on man for no reason, which has an eerie quality. The visual effects, however, seem primitive by today's standards, and save for a few effective build-ups (the playground scene), this movie feels a bit silly. Still, compare it to it's retarded grandchild 'The Happening', and I'm sure you'll find 'The Birds' a much less excruciating watch. Hell, you might even enjoy yourself.
Rated 25 Jun 2010
85
84th
Pretty much invented the man-vs-nature branch of the creature feature, epitomizing the general cheesyness of it as well. With its many contrivances, weirdly obtuse dialogue, glass-eyed performances and badly dated effects, it all amounts to a heaping pile of fuck, but in such a marvelously entertaining and disarmingly up front way that its many faults are easily forgiven. An enormous guilty pleasure and in it's own retardedly jolly way a masterpiece.
Rated 26 Sep 2010
76
60th
This is a really strange offering from Hitchcock, but he pulls it off pretty well. He gets points for taking such an odd premise and making a good thriller out of it.
Rated 06 Oct 2010
100
97th
I recently watched this movie again, as an adult. I hadn't seen it since it terrified me as a child. There's so much story here that I didn't understand as a child. What an incredible film. Everybody should see it. It still scared me.
Rated 09 Jan 2011
90
97th
Only Hitchcock could turn a flock of birds into a terrifying villain. "The Birds" is one of his best films -the first hour is a long but brilliant build-up, where the interesting characters get to develop. The second hour is full of iconic sequences and the attack at the house may be the most gripping scene Hitch has ever made. The allegorical script and the acting (especially by Jessica Tandy) are also superb. Technically innovative and thrilling, "The Birds" is a horror classic.
Rated 03 Mar 2011
8
77th
I have a soft spot for this movie. It's bizarre cinematography makes it seem almost "comic book like" most of the time, with painted backgrounds and superimposed effects. It also has a strange balance of horror and humour, so it's hard not to like. Unfortunately it does leave you feeling a little empty, but the ending (or lack of) does send you away thinking "but... what happened!?" Highlights include some unexpected suspense/gore and some lovebirds on a car journey!
Rated 10 May 2011
80
88th
The introductory first hour seems cheap and overacted - but the directorial brilliance of the second half (which includes the horrifying final attack) leaves no room for skeptical comments. This is definitely a haunting film.
Rated 05 Jun 2011
75
79th
Apparently, i was the only person who hadn't seen The Bird in the entire world (AndreasThau's World). Okay, so what does Hitchcock want to illustrate with the "the birds" - this has to be what everybody's wondering while watching the film. Frankly i'm not sure what he wants to do with "the birds" - is it some kind of allegory, is it "just" an effective suspense-tool - either way it's kind of cool, that the film works on other levels, than your'e used to in hitch-world= you're evil, blah, blah.
Rated 23 Jun 2011
95
93rd
The strength of this one is not in the bird attacks, which admittedly do not look great, but the events surrounding the attacks, i.e. the buildup and the reactions. The unseen is often a lot scarier than what is seen. (By the way, Tippi Hendren is gorgeous).
Rated 24 Feb 2012
100
96th
What a fucking amazing film! This is my second favorite Hitchcock film after Rear Window. A lot of people, even Hitchcock admirers, think that this is an empty-headed genre picture and minor Hitchcock, and for my money, those people are wrong on both counts. For a look into the thematic richness of this film I highly suggest reading Camille Paglia's brilliant analysis of it in her BFI book The Birds, as she says everything I would like to and then some in it, and better than I could hope to.
Rated 06 Dec 2012
70
28th
Hitchcock still manages to create some trademark suspense here, but all in all, I didn't get much enjoyment out of this one.
Rated 20 Dec 2012
75
60th
Not for me. Too silly. Although film buffs who enjoy picking out subtle clues and interpreting subtext might get something out of this. Ultimately I feel it's one of those films that many rate high because it's "highly regarded" but secretly dislike and would never watch again.
Rated 27 Oct 2013
83
72nd
I love Hitchcock's playful style. There's a lot of black comedy here, especially in the first half, which made it all pretty fun. The horror is well built from the initial random attack by a single bird to the swarms towards the end. Some of the composting is a bit rough, but this might also be Hitchcock's most explicitly bloody film, and between that and the great shots of menacing birds it makes up for the rough patches.
Rated 09 Jun 2014
82
94th
Not the perfect Hitchcock movie, yet there are so many classy and influential moments here, many that were way ahead of their time, that elevate this to classic status.
Rated 17 Sep 2014
80
90th
I'm normally not a horror film person, but I really like most Hitchcock and this one is great
Rated 07 Jan 2015
95
88th
This is obviously a great film. You don't need me to tell you that the birds are a metaphor for the pent up sexual frustration of a puritanical island hamlet. Next you'll be asking me what the shark in Jaws stood for. (Hint: it's not dissimilar). Hitchcock is a great director because every camera angle oozes voyeurism. When you watch a Hitchcock flick, you know that behind the camera lies a gross, creepy pervazoid director. That's what makes it look so unique.
Rated 30 Apr 2016
9
81st
A terrific exercise in building suspense from the Master.
Rated 12 Jun 2016
87
77th
What is it with Hitchcock and lamps? I still can't figure it out, but I have really come to admire it. Also, no music in this film - a first! I thought he did a terrific job creating both suspense and terror around the movement of the birds. Tippi Hedren also gives a great performance as Melanie Daniels, which just helps add an impending sense of doom to the entire landscape of the film.
Rated 26 Jul 2016
40
26th
A very early instance of a male protagonist wearing cargo pants in a non-safari context (perhaps foreshadowing or even contributing to the rise of the sartorial anythinggoesness that would characterise the following years and decades, culminating in the bland stylelessness of the present age). The film itself, which is the story of a slightly unconventional woman whose entry into the life of a man already surrounded by women proves disruptive to all, is recommended for ornithophobes only.
Rated 06 Oct 2016
78
50th
This movie isn't for the birds. It's held up pretty well all these years. Yeah, some of the effects are cheesy now but really it's been over 50 years since this was made. Hitchcock does a great job keeping you nervous when birds are around, I especially hate birds, very annoying creatures. Tippi Hedren was a delight, very beautiful and her voice was amazing. There was some surprising gore for the times that this was made, especially pecked out eyeballs, nasty...
Rated 20 Dec 2006
89
80th
Hitchcock can make anything superbly creepy... even a movie about birds.
Rated 21 Dec 2006
84
67th
kinda overrated
Rated 01 Mar 2007
55
49th
Classic.
Rated 19 Mar 2007
85
73rd
The Birds offers a level of tension that really only Hitchcock has mastered. The whole movie is absolutely excellent.
Rated 03 Apr 2007
74
38th
Pretty good, but no Rear Window!
Rated 26 May 2007
70
70th
Classic.
Rated 04 Jun 2007
87
75th
a great possiblity
Rated 06 Aug 2007
90
64th
Grows more fascinating with each viewing - the second half remains suspenseful and terrifying, but the first half, which explores the film's human relationships, really gels with repeat viewings. I was dismissive of the idea that Melanie's growing attraction to Mitch and involvement in his life was the main cause of the birds' attack, but the notion grows more and more plausible with each viewing.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
70
63rd
I never would have believed that birds could be scary, but Hitchcock somehow makes it happen.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
95
73rd
I took a film class in school and it really helped me apreciate this film
Rated 14 Aug 2007
6
26th
Despite Hitchcock repeatedly demonstrating the deadliness of the birds, barring a full assault to your face, a winged attack would probably be easy to survive. Therefore, the attacks start to feel tedious. Of course, the real point of all the winged mayhem is to bring Tippi and Jessica closer at the end. Just as, thirty years later, the point of all the dinosaur mayhem in Jurassic Park is to bring Sam Neill closer to those two adorable tykes. The creatures are just the MacGuffins.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
82
84th
An amazing suspense movie, with one of my favorite endings.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
75
63rd
Clasic hit. Not very tensious but good. What to say bout director :))))
Rated 14 Aug 2007
67
55th
Not really that different than any other movies about animals that attack people, but definitely ahead of its time, and had some really cool scenes.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
77
45th
saw it when I was five and I still avoid aviaries.
Rated 16 Sep 2007
75
79th
Strange but effective thriller.
Rated 13 Oct 2007
85
69th
I saw this on TV as a kid, and it really freaked me out.
Rated 21 Oct 2007
94
86th
Tippi Hedren is the hottest woman ever.
Rated 22 Oct 2007
84
75th
Solid, but not among Hitchcock's best. I really appreciate Hitch's refusal to explain the birds, the silent antagonists that still remain at film's end. Some of it works less well than others, especially some of the attacks, but I'm not sure there are moments in Hitch's career I like better than the reveal of the birds on the playground. Also, the film includes excellent bits of suspense throughout, even with something as simple as dropping off the lovebirds--makes for a great rhythm.
Rated 31 Oct 2007
85
30th
Classic Hitchcock! A good movie full of suspense and drama.

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