Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) poster

Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) (2014)

Film · 2h · Rated R

Comedy, Drama

A washed-up superhero actor chases artistic validation on Broadway in a darkly comic, surreal, and brisk drama.

Intimate and melancholy, with dry wit. A late-night trip at a brisk pace. Emotionally it is heavy.

Streaming on Max.

Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) parents guide

No surprises for an R: moderate sex and nudity, and some violence.

Scare
Not scary
Jump scares
None noted
Gore
No gore
Violence
Some violence
Some fighting or peril.
Sex and nudity
Moderate
Moderate means a sex scene or nudity on screen, even brief, or sexual violence that is described or implied but never shown.
Language
Strong
Frequent strong profanity or slurs.

How we rate: an AI reads what is known about each title and tags it 0 to 3; we check the tags against a hand-rated set and correct them by hand when readers tell us. Estimates, not a scene-by-scene review. Spot a mistake? Tell us.

What is Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) about?

A fading actor best known for his portrayal of a popular superhero attempts to mount a comeback by appearing in a Broadway play. As opening night approaches, his attempts to become more altruistic, rebuild his career, and reconnect with friends and family prove more difficult than expected.

Does it have a happy ending? (spoiler-safe)

It leaves the ending open to interpretation.

Cast and crew

Directed byAlejandro G. Iñárritu
StarringMichael Keaton, Emma Stone, Zach Galifianakis, Edward Norton, Andrea Riseborough, Naomi Watts

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Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) is on our Superheroes, Set in New York, Best Picture winners, Best Picture nominees and Comedy on Max lists.

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Prompts we typed into CouchRot, and the lists that share its tags.

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Uses the TMDB API; not endorsed or certified by TMDB. Intensity, content, tone and pace tags are CouchRot's own.