Earthquake Bird (2019) – First Look & Impressions

A possibly disturbing movie featuring romance, that borderlines obsession, maybe murder, and tsundere type character? Don’t you wanna watch it?

Official Synopsis

A psychologically unsettling and atmospheric thriller set in 1989 Tokyo from director Wash Westmoreland (Colette, Still Alice), Earthquake Bird follows Lucy Fly (Alicia Vikander), an enigmatic expat haunted by a painful past, who enters into an intense relationship with Teiji (Naoki Kobayashi), a handsome local photographer. Lucy’s imperturbable exterior begins to crack when a naive newcomer, Lily Bridges (Riley Keough), becomes entangled in their lives and ends up missing — suspected dead.

Our Take

While I know there is always that feeling of being uncomfortable when you see a movie starring a white person in a country they are a minority, this might be different? At least I hope it is because there is something about Lucy’s relationship with Teiji and Lily that makes you want to disregard initial apprehension and just enjoy yourself. Specifically, how she seems just to be floating and existing until Teiji documents she exists. That he sees her and though, likely, he sees her strictly through his lens, it could very well be the way she wishes to be seen.

Making the idea that Lily breaks through that façade so intriguing. Especially since it is a queer relationship and while the nudity thing is likely not going to do much beyond enticing some who don’t know there is a lot of free porn out there, you never know? It could be like Blue Is The Warmest Colour, where, even if it has a gratuitous vibe, there could be a feeling that it was required for you to understand how deeply intimate the relationship is. Perhaps so intimate that the sex isn’t tantalizing but makes you feel like a creepy voyeur.

So here is hoping this admittedly strangely titled movie lives up to expectations.

Social Media or Official Website

www.netflix.com/earthquakebird