A coming-of-age drama set in Kent, England, Bird tells the story of a rebellious twelve-year-old girl with an eye for the innocent beauty around her. Though unfamiliar with the works of writer/director Andrea Arnold, I was surprised to find a quiet calmness in her depiction of the female preteen experience. She manages to capture an authenticity, thanks primarily to a star-making performance from first-time actress, Nykiya Adams. Curiosity, femininity, puberty, and a dash of magical realism combine to make Bird a potent and haunting fable.
Bailey (Adams) lives in a rough part of Kent, in an apartment building covered in graffiti with her sketchy father, Bug (Barry Keoghan, Saltburn, The Killing of a Sacred Deer). Bug comes across abrasive, if still deeply affectionate towards his daughter—still, he is too concerned with pleasing his new girlfriend to stop and think about Bailey’s feelings on the matter. Keoghan, completely covered in tattoos and shirtless for most of his scenes, certainly fills the role with a prickly personality. One scene even manages to give a playful nod to his memorable “Murder on the Dancefloor” number in Saltburn. Bird still allows Keoghan a couple of opportunities for more bold musical numbers, such as Blur’s “The Universal.” Otherwise, Bug mostly zooms around on his fecking electric scooter, clowns around in tracksuits, or smooches on his new beauty.
When Bug breaks the news to Bailey that he wants her to be a bridesmaid at his upcoming wedding, she rebels in the only way she knows how. She has someone shave off most of her hair. She falls in with the wrong crowd. She stays out late, and won’t tell Bug where she goes. For all intents and purposes, Bailey is a normal teenager, just with an accelerated timeline. Arnold’s script manages to make Bailey’s familiar predicament feel fresher, and Adams’s delivery only seals the deal. Even though all of these situations are relatively similar to ones we have seen before, Arnold finds the nuance and believability in their frankness.
Thankfully, Bird evolves past being an angsty tragedy. One day when Bailey awakens in an open field, she comes upon a strange drifter in a skirt by the name of Bird (Franz Rogowski). As his moniker would probably imply, Bird’s significance greatly affects the narrative, eventually helping to imbue Bailey with a confidence she never knew she had. In return, Bailey tries to help Bird find his biological family. It is all very sweet, given even further texture by the power of the relationship between Bird and Bailey. The duo have a sweet energy, a polar opposite to the crackling antagonism between Bailey and Bug.
While Bird may not win any awards for originality, the charming story and eclectic ensemble still manage to color outside the lines of a typical coming-of-age drama. Visual texture adds another layer of metaphor onto an already harrowing dysfunctionality to what should be a happy childhood for poor Bailey. Andrea Arnold’s signature style softens the heavier aspects of the narrative. Between Adams, Keoghan, and Rogowski, we have one killer onscreen combination.
Bird sets flight into theaters on Friday, November 8th.
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