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The Birds

Play trailer Poster for The Birds PG-13 Released Mar 28, 1963 1h 59m Mystery & Thriller Drama Horror Play Trailer Watchlist
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94% Tomatometer 69 Reviews 83% Popcornmeter 100,000+ Ratings
Melanie Daniels (Tippi Hedren) meets Mitch Brenner (Rod Taylor) in a San Francisco pet store and decides to follow him home. She brings with her the gift of two love birds and they strike up a romance. One day birds start attacking children at Mitch's sisters party. A huge assault starts on the town by attacking birds.
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The Birds

The Birds

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Critics Consensus

Proving once again that build-up is the key to suspense, Alfred Hitchcock successfully turned birds into some of the most terrifying villains in horror history.

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Critics Reviews

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Brendan Gill The New Yorker Hard as it may be to believe of a Hitchcock, it doesn’t arouse suspense, which is, of course, what justifies and transforms the sadism that lies at the heart of every thriller. Here the sadism is all too nakedly, repellently present. Aug 15, 2022 Full Review Wendy Ide The Times (UK) There’s a fair amount of beak-based eye trauma. Aug 1, 2022 Full Review James Powers The Hollywood Reporter Hitchcock prolongs his prelude to horror for more than half the film, playing with audience suspense with comedy and romance while he sets his stage. The horror when it comes is a hair-raiser ... Mar 28, 2017 Full Review Wesley Lovell Cinema Sight By focusing on three types of birds, seagulls, crows, and sparrows, Hitchcock enables audiences from various environments to feel and appreciate the terror their avian villainy can rain down. Rated: 4/4 Jul 6, 2025 Full Review Chris Barsanti PopMatters A frustratingly slow build that could provide grist for a 'Mystery Science Theater 3000' episode. However, once Hitchcock shows his hand, 'The Birds' turns into maybe the most terrifying entry in his filmography. Jan 8, 2025 Full Review Diana Tuova Spotlight on Film The Birds represents one of Hitchcock’s most admirable accomplishments. Rated: 5/5 Aug 9, 2024 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Eron F I watched this movie when I was a kid and took the opportunity to share it with my grandchildren on the big screen! To top it off we had dinner and a movie for our evening out. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 07/24/25 Full Review tucker s I'm a huge Hitchcock fan, but this was one of the most ridiculous and utterly pointless movies I've ever seen. Complete waste of time Rated 1 out of 5 stars 07/23/25 Full Review Larry K Freaky movie even for the 60's Rated 4 out of 5 stars 07/21/25 Full Review Mason M Though I have had some mixed feelings about Hitchcock's films in the past, there really is no denying that he is the master of suspense and The Birds shows all of Hitchcock's strengths. I always doubted that this could make a group of birds scary, but now I have to admit this is probably one of the scariest films I've ever seen. Hitchcock's directing is great and precise as always, and it's impressive watching how in this film, all of the shots are framed and done perfectly, and he only ever does anything with the camera when he needs to build up tension. And the writing is another highlight of this film. The characters and their interconnected relationships are some of the most interesting that were ever in a Hitchcock film, and much of the dialogue is greatly done too. The Birds shows Hitchcock at his height and highlights all of the things he does best at as a director. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 06/22/25 Full Review Leprechaun K Like all other Hitchcock movies, it is slow-paced, uneventful, and quite boring to be honest. Hitchcock might have been a master of his time, but his movies do not withstand the test of time. They did not age well. This one was no exception. The ending is also a let down. Rated 2 out of 5 stars 06/21/25 Full Review Autumn M The Birds is the quintessential monster movie, in which birds terrorize the residents of Bodega Bay. It is definitely dated, especially by the special effects. Pros: the characters are slightly developed and the main character did demonstrate growth. Cons: Much of the writing was puzzling, and seemed unfinished. The actors were good and the pacing was fine, but again it was just okay, not anything special. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 06/14/25 Full Review Read all reviews
The Birds

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Cast & Crew

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Alfred Hitchcock

Director

Rod Taylor

Mitch Brenner

Tippi Hedren

Melanie Daniels

Suzanne Pleshette

Annie Hayworth

Jessica Tandy

Lydia Brenner

Veronica Cartwright

Cathy Brenner

Movie Clips

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The Birds

The Birds: Official Clip - The Gas Station Explosion The Birds: Official Clip - The Gas Station Explosion 1:48 The Birds: Official Clip - Eyes Pecked Out The Birds: Official Clip - Eyes Pecked Out 1:13 The Birds: Official Clip - I Think You're Evil! The Birds: Official Clip - I Think You're Evil! 2:53 The Birds: Official Clip - Crows Stalk the Playground The Birds: Official Clip - Crows Stalk the Playground 2:02 The Birds: Official Clip - Escaping The Birds The Birds: Official Clip - Escaping The Birds 2:57 The Birds: Official Clip - Trapped in a Phone Booth The Birds: Official Clip - Trapped in a Phone Booth 1:37 The Birds: Official Clip - The Birds Invade Through the Chimney The Birds: Official Clip - The Birds Invade Through the Chimney 2:11 The Birds: Official Clip - The Seagull Attack The Birds: Official Clip - The Seagull Attack 1:03 The Birds: Official Clip - The Birthday Party Attack The Birds: Official Clip - The Birthday Party Attack 1:52 The Birds: Official Clip - Attacked in the Attic The Birds: Official Clip - Attacked in the Attic 2:55 View more videos

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The Birds

A scene from The Birds. Tippi Hedren as Melanie Daniels. A scene from The Birds. Tippi Hedren as Melanie Daniels. A scene from The Birds. A scene from The Birds. The Birds (1963) The Birds (1963) The Birds (1963) The Birds (1963) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis Melanie Daniels (Tippi Hedren) meets Mitch Brenner (Rod Taylor) in a San Francisco pet store and decides to follow him home. She brings with her the gift of two love birds and they strike up a romance. One day birds start attacking children at Mitch's sisters party. A huge assault starts on the town by attacking birds.
Director
Alfred Hitchcock
Producer
Alfred Hitchcock
Screenwriter
Evan Hunter, Daphne Du Maurier
Distributor
Universal Pictures
Production Co
Universal Pictures, Alfred J. Hitchcock Productions
Rating
PG-13
Genre
Mystery & Thriller, Drama, Horror
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Mar 28, 1963, Wide
Rerelease Date (Theaters)
Oct 22, 2023
Release Date (Streaming)
Oct 1, 2014
Runtime
1h 59m
Sound Mix
Mono
Aspect Ratio
Flat (1.85:1)
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