Earthquake Bird (2019) User Reviews

Authentic depiction of Tokyo in the late 80's

[nakachan · 7/10 · 19 November 2019]

First of all, as a 50 something Japanese who experienced what is was like living in Tokyo back in the late 80's, I was really surprised the authenticity of the depiction of the period. They recreated the era so perfectly, it was easy for me to get into the story and take them seriously. That's not always happens when hollywood pictures try to portay my country. Good start.

And yes, as other reviewers points out, the story goes very slow, and they reveal the bare bones much much later, so sometimes it's a little difficult to follow and understand what's happening. But we will come to know the loneliness and anxiety of this caucasian woman from Sweden who lives in Tokyo bit by bit, and what happened to her life in the past, our patience will be nicely rewarded. This film is like a kind of psycological charachter study which disguises as a murder mystery. Maybe not for everyone's taste but I'm sure some people may find it interesting and fascinating.

Alicia Vikander's performance is wonderful as always and she speaks Japanese language maybe not so perfectly but beautifully. Naoki Kobayashi also did a fine job considering his low experiences as an actor which I'm looking forward more to come.

And nice surprise was a brief appearance of Yoshiko Sakuma who was one of the most popular beauty queens from the golden age of Japanese cinema and also one of the two divas (the other was Junko Fuji) of Toei Studio in the 60's.

Engrossing, but you need to concentrate to stay with it.

[Sleepin_Dragon · 7/10 · 17 November 2019]

Earthquake Bird is a very different film, it's not exactly what I was expecting having seen a trailer, but I enjoyed it. You will question events and reality as you watch Lucy plunged into a series of bizarre events, as you watch you'll ask if events were real, and if those around her did indeed exist. Alicia Vikander is absolutely terrific in the lead, so convincing. Naoki Kobayashi and Riley Keough also impress in supporting roles. The first forty minutes or so were a bit of a challenge, it took a long time to open up, but when it does it becomes a very absorbing watch. The pace won't suit everyone, some may find it a little slow, but I enjoy this type of psychological thriller.

A thumbs up from me, just stick with it, it's worth it.

Intelligent and different, definitely worth a watch

[goods116 · 7/10 · 17 November 2019]

Solid movie, keeps you engaged and decent twists through to the end. The Japanese setting and cultural exploration adds an interesting element, and great acting by Vikander (if she didn't learn Japanese, her acting sure was convincing). While the story does sag in a few places, I was never bored. Not an award winning movie, but a very solid watch.

It'll fill a couple of hours on Netflix...

[reev0 · 6/10 · 10 October 2019]

A solid but ultimately stolid mystery, super competent and quite engaging but with no flair and a lacklustre ending. Seen it all before, albeit in a different setting. #LFF

Fine acting and well shot, but story doesn't quite grasp

[arrowinmyknee · 6/10 · 17 November 2019]

Another title in the never-ending churn of book to film adaptations from the Netflix studios, this is a fine performance from Alicia Vikander who is captivating throughout as an emotionally vulnerable Swede living in Japan, with a decent supporting cast.

The film promotes the Japanese setting well including a good showcase of culture, attitudes and landscape but the film has pacing issues which aren't helped by the random mixture of flashback and psychosis nor the unsatisfying ending.

A decent watch, but fails to deliver any real impact.

Waste of an opportunity

[rum2550 · 5/10 · 17 November 2019]

Movie starts off quite well arousing the viewer's intrigue. It is set in a really interesting background, Japan in the 80s. Alicia Vikander's acting skills and beautiful cinematography kept my attention. Every little detail seemed to be heading for a dramatic ending perhaps a really intelligent twist. However, movie becomes all over the place in the second half ending abruptly without much of a conclusion. In the end I felt like being let down and totally unsatisfied.

Interesting but without closure

[Raffinato · 6/10 · 16 November 2019]

It's a slow burn, half way through the movie I had to stop and take a break. I assumed the second half the movie could go in multiple directions, too bad they went with one that was expected and not nearly surprising enough.

Good acting..

Interesting but flat

[pietclausen · 5/10 · 16 November 2019]

A story made in Japan giving insight in Japanese culture and mannerism, beautifully filmed, draws one's attention. It starts of well, but falters in the middle and ends awkwardly.

It keeps one's attention to figure out what's actually happened, but after it's over, the plot was actually unexciting and gloomy.

A chilling epic

[blakearciga · 7/10 · 20 November 2019]

By far the most beautiful film I have seen in a long time, with cinematography en par with Roma but with far more story to hold your interest. The narrative is a chilling take on the classic archetype of a love triangle which is ultimately what makes it stand out. Alicia Vikander completely sells you on the guilt-ridden Lucy Fly, I don't think the film could have worked without her. My only criticism is that the themes feel disproportionate at the end (SPOILER- Lucy feels guilty over rejecting Lily and causing her death in the final scene but ten minutes earlier she wishes she had been able to kill her, Teiji's victimization of them both could not have garnered her sympathetic feelings because she loved Teiji and never saw him as the monster he was even after his attempt on her life). Nonetheless, this film is Avengers:Endgame for slow-burn and art film fans and I highly recommend.

Tired plot

[rbbdagge · 2/10 · 25 October 2022]

Despite some jarring sentiments ("Why marry, if women just end up changing a man's diapers?"- I know 100's of married women and I don't think any change their husbands' diapers. Of course I could be wrong....), this is an excellent film for the first 95%. However then things fall apart and the plot becomes the tired story we see so often - men are violent psychopaths and women are "victims" (even the "bad" women). But, of course, the victim somehow over comes the oppressor. The only difference here is that the victims are Western and oppressor Asian but, still - the song remains the same. A shame - as up to then, the film was atmospheric and intriguing.

Alicia - I thought you knew better!!!!

Unusual and captivating

[carmelie-poulaine · 8/10 · 16 November 2019]

Unusual and captivating movie, very original. I slowly immersed myself in the atmosphere and really enjoyed it.

Foreboding Atmosphere

[Foutainoflife · 7/10 · 18 November 2019]

I'd give this a 6.5 if we could implement a half star rating BUT we can't. I bumped it up to a 7.

This wasn't an awful film. It is well filmed and the atmosphere is well constructed, pulling you in to keep you interested. I thought the acting was decent but I'm not familiar with any of them.

It is a slowly paced film. I mean... S-L-O-W. While it is meant to help with the atmospheric setup, it kinda got dull at times. I was still interested. I just wanted it to move a bit faster.

I wouldn't be honest if I didn't mention that the ending was a bit of a let down. We had this great foreboding but when it came time to unveil everything it was just...bland.

Would I suggest it? Yeah. I guess I would. If you like mystery, it's not that bad. Just slow, a bit predictable and the finish is a bit underwhelming. It's not bad for just a regular night on the couch.

Way too slow . . .

[purrlgurrl · 3/10 · 16 November 2019]

Honestly, I fell asleep. The narrative's pace is too slow to be suspenseful. Vikander's character is underwritten and opaque. Teiji, the photographer at the apex of the love triangle, is so uncharismatic her obsession with him is baffling. So is the fact that two young women are drawn to him. I guess his being a photographer is supposed to be enough to make him a darkly romantic, irresistible figure. Whatever.

The mystery of what happened to the other young woman isn't compelling. It sure couldn't keep me awake

I think the film's underlying theme is about guilt over things undone that resulted in harm to someone - the sins of omission rather than commission. But since I nodded off halfway through I'm probably wrong.

If you're a fan of long, pregnant pauses where the main character stares soulfully into the middle distance while nothing happens and nothing much is said, you might enjoy this.

If you do watch it, I suggest doing so with a big cup of strong, black coffee because without one, you could fall asleep, too.

adventures in Japan

[lee_eisenberg · 7/10 · 17 November 2019]

Wash Westmoreland's "Earthquake Bird" isn't a great movie but still worth seeing, with Alicia Vikander as an expat in Japan who enters a potentially dangerous situation. In addition to the plot what I liked was the scenes of Japan's countryside; I hope to go there someday.

I recommend the movie. I hope that Vikander's career continues like this. Also appearing is Riley Keough (Elvis Presley's granddaughter).

An unusually mediocre thriller

[SushiStoner103 · 15 April 2020]

I went into this film expecting a generic thriller, yet another novel to film adaptation executed with half the merit of its source material, only to be be lost in the bottomless pit of mediocrity. Is this what I got? Not exactly. Let me explain.

The earthquake bird does try to deliver on its unique premise and is somewhat competently made with attention to cinematography and style but still remains quite hollow. Why is this?

This got me thinking, aside from a 'slow burn' progression of plot, which didn't exactly bother me as it might have the majority of viewers. I personally felt the story was appropriately paced, it assisted in creating tension and made me hungry for answers. Heres the thing, the answers ..... once we got them or most of them at least, left me feeling underwhelmed, not by its reveal but how the creators handled it. Which is a real shame, because the underlining theme (Guilt) specifically how it correlates with character and story was really interesting. If only the first two acts alluded to this with a little bit more importance, it had the potential to really hit home and had they developed this (theme) on a deeper level, it would have made for a satisfying conclusion.

In terms of narrative structure it does stumble a bit, its too busy trying to seduce audiences into thinking one thing then teasing us with another. Which can be effective if we were fully engaged in the story and invested in these characters, but the loose thread of events leading up to the twists don't hold much significance until the final act and by then its too late. And all but our protagonist happen to be uninteresting one dimensional characters with no real lasting impression. Especially the archetypical creepy photographer boyfriend who didn't have much contribution to the film as a whole, when the film was purposely leading you to believe he was behind this convoluted mystery. How misleading, quite frustrating in fact.

To balance out my criticism, the film does a lot of things right. First and foremost, the acting was believable, Alicia Vikander played the role for what she was asked of, really well, her commitment to interchanging between languages was refreshing and realistic given the setting of the film. It was clear she knew the character really well and she did give it her best. The authenticity of Japanese culture and setting was well preserved and the technical aspects as a whole was serviceable. Might i note the soundtrack was nostalgic and the music was utilised effectively in regards to reflecting the total emotional effect. The actual point of the film, which might be hidden under the apprehensive build up was actually interesting. I wish they expanded on this and refined certain plot elements to make this all clear. My biggest issue was the delivery, execution and style was present although not fully appreciated. Earthquake bird was an unusually mediocre film, hence my motivation to write this review.

Shaken

[kosmasp · 7/10 · 24 March 2020]

Birds are delicate - at least that is what is the common belief. And in this case, if we assume that one of the characters is the bird, we can attest to her being quite fragile. Having said that, she also is quite the interesting character and one might wonder a few things about her.

It is a thriller and it is quite a guessing game. The timeline hopping does help keep the tension high, which is a good thing. It works nicely and the acting is rather good. Having said, it isn't without flaws and I understand if some are underwhelmed by how it ... well ends I guess you could say

A Mess

[BristolKween · 1/10 · 1 November 2019]

Caught this at the festival last week. I wish I hadn't. How Netflix was convinced to make this into a movie is beyond me. The book had an actual ending. This is not the same story though. Some white girl is confused and goes to find herself in mystical Asian country. Then she falls apart further because of, wait for it, some guy that is closed-off emotionally, sends all these creepy signals, and just takes pictures of her, controlling what she does. Pitting woman against woman, this (non-Japanese, male) director makes it so the Asian guy gets even creepier. Sigh. It's 2019 and this film cost millions I assume. What's it offer? Sexism, Asian fantasy, the Yellow Peril, all wrapped up in a total mess of a film with the viewers never sure if we're watching a dream, a fantasy, something real from the past, or from the future.

A character study perfectly articulated

[nancyldraper · 7/10 · 19 November 2019]

If you want to watch an actress who can ride every subtle nuance of an emotional wave, then Alicia Vikander is your kind of actress (it's that skill that won her an Oscar, gives her the ability to shift genres effortlessly and has earned her a faithful fan base). This story is a character study perfectly articulated. Alicia's performance is a 10. If you want a fast paced thriller with dramatic twists and turns, this is not the movie for you. The twists may not take you by surprise. The story is a slow, methodical reveal of a mystery. I give the film a 7 (good) out of 10. {Dramatic Thriller}

obvious plot

[polexekimov · 1/10 · 17 November 2019]

Movie without any sense, non of the characters is anyhow interesting. After having seen the movie I feel to have waisted my time. cars are not period correct (assuming the action takes place in 1989) Police Car - Nissan Cedric '1995-2012 Background car - Nissan AD Van (Y12) '2006-16 Background car - Toyota Crown Sedan S130 FACELIFT '1991 the earliest Background car - Nissan NV100 Clipper (DR64V) (2013-2015) There's absolutely no feeling of 1989.

Earthquake Fly.

[morrison-dylan-fan · 7/10 · 20 February 2020]

Getting near the end of ICM's best films of 2019 poll, I decided to check up Alicia Vikander's credits from the year. Finding that her lone feature credit of the year was a Netflix title,I got set to stream the earthquake.

View on the film:

Speaking Japanese for large parts of the film, Alicia Vikander impressively gives the appearance of Lucy Fly (what a name!) being at ease speaking the language (unlike the awkward, unsteady dialogue delivery actors from "the west" usually give in Bollywood flicks.)

Sitting in a police room looking back at how she went from finding peace being alone to mingling with the wrong crowd and become a murder suspect, Vikander chips away at the ease Fly has with herself in a terrific turn, thanks to the confident mask Fly wears being cracked by Vikander into a increasingly disorientated state.

Backed by a excellent jangling Industrial score by Leopold Ross/Claudia Sarne and Nine Inch Nails member Atticus Ross, writer/ director Wash Westmoreland & Chan-wook Park's regular cinematographer Chung-hoon Chung stylishly shake the growing disconnected mind-set of Fly in a immerse atmosphere of stylish shaking overlapping dissolves freezing on the shattered close-ups to Fly's fears of losing her mind.

Dabbing the early peaceful time that Fly lives alone over the opening, Westmoreland's adaptation of Susanna Jones novel aims for psychological Thriller fears from the entanglement of Fly with her new friends, but misses the chance for successful doubt,by having the duo act shady from the start, and little room being given to establish why these two relationships are so important to Fly and end up causing her such distress, leading to this flick sadly not being a super Fly.

No way the 10 star reviews are real

[juliaday-54131 · 1/10 · 16 November 2019]

This has to be one of the worst movies I have ever watched. It's so disjointed and about half of the story makes sense, the other half doesn't at all. I'm so mad I just wasted an hour and 40 minutes of my life.

Pop goes the tension

[matthewconnect · 8/10 · 16 November 2019]

Set in Tokyo, a surprisingly Japanese speaking Alicia Vikander, Lucy, is interrogated by police over the disappearance, and suspected murder, of fellow expat Lily. Tension grows throughout the film as Lucy grows increasingly jealous and paranoid of Lily, who slowly gets close to her mysterious photographer boyfriend Teiji.

Whilst the pace of the film is slow, Alicia Vikander is phenomenal as Lily, holding you at the edge of your seat as her mental state slowly crumbles. Time is taken to dwell on Lucy's expressions, her feelings, her psyche. Her eyes slowly welling up in one scene is magical.

The setting is a character in its own right, framed magnificently in a number of scenes- the grandeur of the mountains, the composition of the secret woodland temple, the liveliness of the festival... compared to the greys of Teiji's studio and Lucy's apartment near the end.

There is a quietness to the movie which I actually really like and unfortunately felt that the ending/resolve, which was rather abrupt did not feel right with the rest of the movie and was too convenient and expected.

Nonetheless, I found there was a lot to love about the movie that despite its pace, kept my attention throughout; with an emotional and reflective performance from Vikander, and was a much needed "quieter" film amongst all the noise of the world.

Very convincing, but not criminological as expected

[MassimoTheCutter · 7/10 · 30 December 2019]

I found the movie because of Ridley Scott is the producer and the fact that Alicia Vikander plays the lead role has increasingly aroused my interest. I also didn't know until after the movie (through google research) that it was a movie adaptation of an award-winning erotic novel. Maybe the people who didn't give less than 6 stars disturbed themselves because there is not much eroticism in the film. It's more of a psychological thriller, which doesn't shock you and also doesn't surprise you at the end. But the director doesn't want to surprise with the end of the film, he wants to make the way to the end as intense, captivating and atmospheric as possible. The atmosphere of the film through it's late 80's japanese look (cinematographer is Chung Chung-hoon known for "Oldboy" and "It") and mysterious music (by Oscar winning Trio Claudia Sarne, Leopold und Atticus Ross "The Social Network"), as well as the acting of (a japanese speaking) Alicia Vikander are very convincing and refreshing in one of the best Netflix movies so far.

Amazing until the end

[madworld-63503 · 5/10 · 9 October 2021]

I'm getting so frustrated with non-endings like these. Terrific, beautiful, haunting, well-paced movie, and then.... It falls off a cliff with no resolution at all, nothing. Super frustrating, and this trend really needs to stop.

Don't expect too much

[Gordon-11 · 2 December 2019]

This film tells the story of a Swedish woman who lives in Japan. She is invited by the police for an interview regarding the death of her friend.

The film is technically good, with great lighting and great scene composition. The setting in Japan is also quite exotic, and offers a different perspective to the story. However, the pace is very slow, and the story is quite a let down. Just when there seems to be the big twist, it twists again and undoes it. The mental state of Lucy could have been expanded regarding the strange visions, but it was not. Overall, it is worth a watch, but don't expect too much.