The UK premiere of the highly-acclaimed new film Bird, starring Barry Keoghan, took place at the London Film Festival over the weekend. Directed by Andrea Arnold, the movie tells the story of a young father’s trials and tribulations as he struggles to raise his children in a tough housing estate. While it has largely been received well by audiences, one aspect of the plot has proven somewhat divisive among critics.
Keoghan has been making waves in the film industry in recent years with his notable performances in movies such as The Batman, Eternals, Dunkirk, and The Killing of a Sacred Deer. However, it was the 2023 movie Saltburn that gave him his biggest breakthrough. Fennell’s film, which premiered at last year’s autumn festivals, dazzled audiences with its shocking scenes and went viral when it was later released on streaming platforms.
Interestingly, Keoghan surprisingly turned down a role in Gladiator II to shoot Bird instead, choosing to work on what he referred to as “the most artistic experience ever for me as an actor”. Critics have praised Keoghan’s multi-layered performance in Bird, “superb in just a few key scenes,” according to IndieWire’s Ryan Lattanzio, and GQ’s Iana Murray stating that it “might just be his greatest performance yet”.
Bird focuses on Bailey, a 12-year-old girl who is being raised by her father (Keoghan) on a working-class housing estate where drugs and violence are prevalent. Though initially distrustful of the sensitive man nicknamed Bird (Franz Rogowski), Bailey eventually sees him as a mentor and protector, providing a new perspective on life.
While many reviews have prised the acting performances in the movie, the film’s final, somewhat supernatural, twist has divided audiences. “Some supernatural or fantastical force is at work here, and it would spoil the movie to reveal too much,” said the Hollywood Reporter’s Leslie Felperin
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