Earthquake Bird (2019)
A haunting neo-noir set in 1989 Tokyo, where obsession, memory, and a vanished woman blur the line between love and guilt.
Earthquake Bird - Movie Information
- Original Title: Earthquake Bird
- Release Year: 2019
- Directed by: Wash Westmoreland
- Type: Movie
- Genres: Drama, Mystery, Romance, Thriller
- Age Rating (US): R
- Runtime: 1h 47m
- Original Language: English
- Spoken Languages: English, Japanese
- Release Date (Theatrical): November 8, 2019 (Japan)
- Alternative Titles: Dove La Terra Trema (IT), Jordskjelvfuglen (NO), Earthquake Bird (US)
- Production Companies: TWENTY FIRST CITY, Scott Free Productions
- Production Countries: Japan, United States of America
Earthquake Bird - Plot
Tokyo, Japan, 1989. Lucy Fly, a foreigner who works as a translator, begins a passionate relationship with Teiji, a mysterious man obsessed with photography.
Earthquake Bird - Trailer
Watch the official trailer and see the atmosphere of 1989 Tokyo come to life:
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Earthquake Bird - Cast & Crew
Director(s)
- Wash Westmoreland
Main Cast
- Alicia Vikander
- Riley Keough
- Naoki Kobayashi
- Kiki Sukezane
- Yoshiko Sakuma
- Ken Yamamura
- Kazuhiro Muroyama
- Crystal Kay
- Akiko Iwase
- Jack Huston
Writers
- Wash Westmoreland
Producers
- Ann Ruark
- Michael A. Pruss
- Georgina Pope
- Kevin J. Walsh
- Ridley Scott
Earthquake Bird - FAQs
What is Earthquake Bird about?
Earthquake Bird follows Lucy Fly, a guarded British expat living in 1989 Tokyo, who falls into an obsessive romance with Teiji, a brooding Japanese photographer. When her new friend Lily vanishes, Lucy becomes the prime suspect. The film unravels her past traumas and the dark undercurrents of the love triangle that may have led to tragedy.
Is Earthquake Bird based on a true story or book?
Earthquake Bird is based on the 2001 novel of the same name by British author Susanna Jones. The book is set in Tokyo and centers on a similar story of a foreign woman entangled in a mysterious disappearance. Wash Westmoreland adapted the screenplay himself, staying close to the novel's moody, psychological tone.
Where can you stream Earthquake Bird?
You can stream Earthquake Bird on Netflix — it's available on both the standard Netflix plan and Netflix Standard with Ads. It was actually a Netflix original release, so it's been on the platform since its debut in November 2019.
Does Earthquake Bird reveal who killed Lily?
The film deliberately keeps its answer shrouded in ambiguity for much of its runtime, peeling back Lucy's fractured memories layer by layer. The truth behind Lily's disappearance does come into focus by the end, but the film's neo-noir style ensures the revelation feels more haunting than conclusive, leaving emotional questions lingering long after the credits.
Who are the main actors in Earthquake Bird?
Alicia Vikander leads the cast as the enigmatic Lucy Fly, with Riley Keough playing the free-spirited Lily Bridges and Naoki Kobayashi as the elusive photographer Teiji. The supporting cast includes Kiki Sukezane, Jack Huston, and Ken Yamamura. Vikander carries the film with a restrained, quietly intense performance.
Is Earthquake Bird worth watching?
If you're drawn to slow-burn psychological thrillers with gorgeous cinematography and a strong central performance, Earthquake Bird is worth your time. Chung Chung-hoon's lush, atmospheric visuals of 1980s Tokyo are stunning, and Vikander is compelling throughout. Critics were divided, but fans of neo-noir and character-driven mysteries tend to find it rewarding.
What is the significance of the title Earthquake Bird?
In Japanese folklore, the namazu — a giant catfish — is said to cause earthquakes. The “earthquake bird” is a creature believed to sense these tremors before they strike, a metaphor woven into the film's themes of hidden danger, premonition, and the tremors of trauma that ripple beneath a seemingly calm surface.
Who composed the music for Earthquake Bird?
The score was composed by the trio of Atticus Ross, Leopold Ross, and Claudia Sarne. Atticus Ross is best known for his Oscar-winning work with Trent Reznor on The Social Network. Their score for Earthquake Bird is suitably tense and atmospheric, perfectly complementing the film's unsettling, dreamlike mood.
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