49/19

Bailey seeks attention and adventure elsewhere

Line of Events

Bailey lives with her brother Hunter and their father Bug, who is raising them alone in a squat in north Kent. Bug doesn’t have much time to devote to them.

Barry Keoghan dropped out of Gladiator II (2024) to star in this film

Bird may seem like a big step up for Andrea Arnold, as it tentatively veers into the realm of magical realism from her usual gritty, staunchly naturalistic territory. But ironically, much of what occupies the running time is well-trodden ground for her.

The soundtrack, mostly modern British rock and punk, is refreshingly different

There are some nice elements, particularly the standout debut of lead Nykiya Adams, whose confidence is exhilarating to watch. It looks gorgeous and vibrant on 16mm, assuming you can handle the absolutely wild camera movements.

But Bird feels somewhat aimless for much of its running time

There’s some good humour and often a light tone – kids get to be kids sometimes, amid the inevitable trials of being forced to grow up too fast. Many scenes and plotlines don’t mean much on their own, leading to a feeling that they must be building up to something explosive that I felt didn’t quite come to fruition.

Its characters and plot points lack imagination

Its setting is both strangely fantastical and painfully real at the same time, in a way that muddies the tone. It’s seemingly authentic to the director’s experience (set firmly in her childhood neighborhood of Kent) and that adds to the sense that Arnold is telling a deeply personal story that may have far more meaning to her than it does to the general public.