The Birds

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The Birds

PG-13

1963

1h 59m

Mystery & Thriller

Drama

Horror

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

94%

Tomatometer

70 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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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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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

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Wendy Ide

The Times (UK)

There’s a fair amount of beak-based eye trauma.

Aug 1, 2022

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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

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Joe Lipsett

Horror Queers Podcast

Masterful technical execution and a flawless performance from "commercial" actress Hedren, Hitchcock's horror film is deeply unsettling and contains at least two iconic set pieces. Plus: Annie and Melanie are deeply queer!

Rated: 4.5/5

Sep 17, 2025

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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

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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

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Gabriel

Hitchcock is awesome!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

10/02/25

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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

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Michael S

A great film to constantly make fun of during the run

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

08/09/25

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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

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Larry K

Freaky movie even for the 60's

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

07/21/25

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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

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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

The Birds: Official Clip - The Gas Station Explosion

1:48

The Birds: Official Clip - Eyes Pecked Out

1:13

The Birds: Official Clip - I Think You're Evil!

2:53

The Birds: Official Clip - Crows Stalk the Playground

2:02

The Birds: Official Clip - Escaping The Birds

2:57

The Birds: Official Clip - Trapped in a Phone Booth

1:37

The Birds: Official Clip - The Birds Invade Through the Chimney

2:11

The Birds: Official Clip - The Seagull Attack

1:03

The Birds: Official Clip - The Birthday Party Attack

1:52

The Birds: Official Clip - Attacked in the Attic

2:55

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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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