Parents' Guide to

The Birds

By Joyce Slaton, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 13+

Classic Hitchcock horror film still gives the chills.

Movie PG-13 1963 119 minutes
The Birds Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Community Reviews

See all
age 12+

Based on 13 parent reviews

EREnglishPal
EREnglishPal Parent of 2, 4, 8 and 10-year-old
November 5, 2022
age 12+

Intriguing Story about Birds vs People

I found the story interesting and fascinating and the characters were mostly fairly nice with a few strange individual. I find it intriguing that there was never an answer to the question of why the birds started attacking people. I am glad that the main characters survived. Very young children may find it a little too scary.

This title has:

Educational value
Great role models
Julie K.
Julie K. Parent
March 15, 2021
age 12+

Great

Some violence.
See all 13 parent reviews

What's the Story?

In THE BIRDS, Melanie Daniels (Tippi Hedren) impulsively follows a bachelor, Mitch Brenner (Rod Taylor), up to his hometown, Bodega Bay, for a weekend jaunt. But things quickly go awry as thousands of crows, gulls, sparrows, and other birds flock over Bodega Bay and relentlessly attack, and even kill, its residents. The birds attack at first with no warning, felling kids at an outdoor birthday party. Before long, they've trapped Melanie and Mitch's little sister and mother (Veronica Cartwright and Jessica Tandy, respectively) in the Brenner home, and it seems like nothing can stop them from drilling and pecking their way in by the thousands. Although it might sound silly, in this movie, it's not.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (13):
Kids say (80):

This thriller is quite talky and slow, running for almost 45 minutes before the action starts. But once The Birds gets going, it's a real nail-biter. This film is an excellent choice for families who love horror films but aren't into explicit gore. It might seem a bit tame to modern kids, but once they get into it, their scares are likely to be genuine. Compared to today's advanced visual effects, The Birds' special effects might look basic and unconvincing, yet this classic shocker is still unnerving. It's laced with shots that haunt you after you've switched off the television.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about respecting animals and their habitats. Why do the birds attack humans?

  • Hitchcock is considered the master of suspense, never showing violence but always implying it. Do you find movies scarier with or without on-screen gore?

  • How is background music often used in horror movies, especially when something is about to happen? How is this different from The Birds, in which no background music is used?

Movie Details

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

See all recommended movie lists

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

See how we rate