Earthquake Bird

Earthquake Bird, directed by Wash Westmoreland, is an engaging and complex thriller that guides the audience into the labyrinth of psychological deceptions. Based on the novel of the same name by Susanna Jones, the film was released in 2019 and gained attention due to its electrifying narrative and the noteworthy acting talent involved. The film features a rich ensemble cast with Alicia Vikander playing the lead role. It co-stars Japanese talent like Naoki Kobayashi and Kiki Sukezane, and introduces Kenichi Masuda in a pivotal role, further strengthening its grip over audiences worldwide with fine acting talents.

The narrative resides in the backdrop of 1989 Tokyo, a place where tradition and modernity coalesce to create a bewitching ambiance. The storyline follows the life and experiences of Lucy Fly (Vikander), an expatriate from Sweden, working as a translator. She is shown to be carrying a dense aura of mystery and melancholy, with a past shadowed in inscrutability, making her a complex character to unravel.

Alicia Vikander, in the meticulous portrayal of Lucy, adds another feather to her acting prowess. Her flawless chemistry with the Tokyo city's landscape and her fellow lead actors enhances the overall narrative. Her character beats the track less travelled, making her story intriguing to the audience. Known for her Academy Award-winning performance in The Danish Girl, Vikander ensnares the essence of her character and delivers a performance that leaves behind a significant imprint.

As the story progresses, Lucy's stable yet solitary life takes a dark turn when she gets entangled in a complicated love triangle involving the hospitable and lively

Riley (Kiki Sukezane) and an enigmatic local photographer Teiji (Naoki Kobayashi). It becomes a crescendo of emotional turmoil, jealousy, and suspicion when she emerges as the prime suspect in a shocking disappearance related to her close circles that shakes up her world.

Director Wash Westmoreland renders a strikingly realistic portrait of late 80s Tokyo, including engaging shots of neon-lit streets, dense forests, traditional tea houses, and bustling subway scenes. The choice of shooting the film in Japan, using many of its places of cultural and historical significance, adds authenticity and depth to the film. Moreover, the intriguing jazz score by Atticus Ross significantly elevates the film's eerie and thriller aesthetic.

The film is peppered with numerous flashback sequences that allow the narrative to delve into the protagonist's past. This approach is cleverly used to demonstrate the protagonist's emotional and psychological layers without divulging too much too soon, thus escalating the suspense. The narrative manages to weave a sense of tension, which effectively creates a gripping atmosphere for the audience.

Earthquake Bird is not just a murder mystery; it's a psychological exploration of its characters through their choices, relationships, and reactions to the events unfolding in their lives. It emphasizes the role of guilt, grief, and trauma upon the human psyche and the profound effect they can have on one’s present.

For those who appreciate a cinematic blend of mystery, suspense, cult, and foreign culture, Earthquake Bird is a crisply crafted offering. It may not be your stereo-typed Hollywood thriller. Instead, it's a Plot-heavy, moodily atmospheric, and uncannily surreal narrative that enthralls its viewers till the end. It's poetry in motion in the guise of a thriller narrative.

The film's stars Alicia Vikander and Naoki Kobayashi deliver intense performances that resonate with the depiction of their characters. Their performances, coupled with an engaging soundtrack and the exotic locale of Tokyo as a character itself, make Earthquake Bird a compelling watch for thrill-seekers and appreciators of the nuanced narrative.

Earning appreciation for its nuanced storytelling, painstaking character development, immersive setting and spellbinding performances, Earthquake Bird is a hauntingly engrossing tale of how past can intricately weave the tapestry of present, especially when the threads are bathed in the emotions of guilt, jealousy, and obsession.