Time: 119 Minutes
Age Rating: R16 – Violence, domestic violence & offensive language
Cast:
Nykiya Adams as Bailey
Barry Keoghan as Bug
Franz Rogowski as Bird
Jason Buda as Hunter
Jasmine Jobson as Peyton
Frankie Box as Kailey
James Nelson-Joyce as Skate
Director: Andrea Arnold

I had previously heard about Bird, I knew that it would star Barry Keoghan and Franz Rogowski and that it’s the latest movie from Andrea Arnold (Wuthering Heights, American Honey), a director I knew of, but hadn’t seen a movie from yet. Outside of that, I went in knowing virtually nothing about the film, and it turned out to be a great experience.

Bird is a coming of age movie and compared to others, I’m generally not into coming of age stories compared to everyone else. This is one of the few that I got into. I’ve seen from some reviews and reactions that a lot of other people weren’t as into it, but I was very immersed in this humane, emotionally rich, and intimate story. I liked how it blended genres and tones; you get a lot of rawness with the social realism, but a lot of it is spiritual and surreal as well. In fact, it has a very dreamlike vibe, with moments of calm and beauty.

It’s made all the better by the authentic performances from the cast. Newcomer Nykiya Adams plays the lead role and she’s fantastic. She’s very believable, holds her own against the rest of the cast, and makes for a great anchor for the story. Barry Keoghan delivers a naturalistic and excellent performance as Adams’s father, and Franz Rogowski is amazing as the enigmatic titular character.

Andrea Arnold’s direction is truly stellar, and after this I want to check out her other movies. The cinematography is beautiful and stunning, really capturing the raw world that the characters live in and enhances the story. It utilises intense handheld camerawork when needed but also captures landscapes really well, but also does well at conveying a very dreamlike vibe.

Bird is a sincere, empathetic, earnest, and powerful coming of age movie, greatly directed and with incredible acting from Nykiya Adams, Barry Keoghan, and Franz Rogowski.