Bailey seeks attention and adventure elsewhere
Plot
Bailey lives with her brother Hunter and her father Bug, who raises her alone in a squat in north Kent. Bug doesn’t have much time for her. Barry Keoghan dropped out of Gladijator II (2024) to star in this film instead.
Edited together at Fontaines DC: Bug (2024)
Bird is a 2024 coming-of-age drama about Bailey, a 12-year-old girl who lives in a very poor environment near Kent and spends most of her time escaping into the depths of the city and recording events that mean something to her on her phone. However, her father Bug (Barry Keoghan) expects his daughter to attend a wedding with another woman. After Bailey runs away, she encounters a mysterious man named Bird (Franz Rogowski), who then draws on a powerful story about friendship and family in poverty.
But this film is definitely not for everyone, as it spends its entire runtime exploring these kinds of dangerous environments and the positive aspects that surround them
Of course, this is a very well-made film, and it didn’t seem like it needed much of a budget to do so, as it won over a new generation of actors with its groundbreaking performances. I think it definitely did its job of delivering a thoughtful message with outstanding performances that really make an impact, and I can respect it for that. However, my personal opinion is that I really don’t like the characters, and I mean, yes, they are accurate, but I literally see people like that every day, and I can’t really forgive the actions of most of the people in this film.
The acting is very good though, my favourite character Bird doesn’t really have many lines but he doesn’t need to
While some scenes with them are very funny, I can’t really relate or come to terms with what some of the characters do in this film, and I hated Bug’s character too – definitely an annoying but realistic portrayal of guys and dads like him. Also I certainly wouldn’t encourage young children to talk to and follow a random stranger but Bird is a way for these kids to escape reality and he is not what you think. Overall I would never watch the film again, I don’t think this film is meant to be seen on the big screen but more at home.
Review: London Film Festival, October 20th
Bird delivers decent performances, humour and great scenes but I didn’t like most of the characters, even Bailey was annoying but I think that’s what it’s all about, showing that there are people like them and that they actually live like that and I think that’s a good message. But don’t watch this in the cinema, I honestly just don’t find it that engaging and also the running time could be adjusted as I think it was a bit too long but I wouldn’t recommend rushing through the film.