Birds of Paradise
Amazon Studios | Release Date (Streaming): September 24, 2021 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
57
METASCORE
Mixed or average reviews based on 12 Critic Reviews
Positive:
6
Mixed:
5
Negative:
1

Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
80
VarietyTomris LafflySep 23, 2021
As Birds of Paradise reveals its (admittedly predictable) secrets one by one, it does so with style and a merited sense of confidence so assertively that even the biggest skeptics of the genre might pause before dismissing it as just another slight YA entry. Read full review
75
IndieWireDavid EhrlichSep 23, 2021
Whatever compromises were required of Smith, she holds fast to the soul of a movie that ultimately cares less about how high Kate and Marine can fly than it does the exotic truths they might only be able to learn as they fall. Read full review
70
Los Angeles TimesKatie WalshSep 23, 2021
Seth’s cinematography is stunning, meeting the mood of each contrasting moment but set within a cohesive look that gives the film a dreamy, unreal quality. Read full review
70
Screen RantRachel LaBonteSep 23, 2021
Froseth and Silvers keep both of their complicated characters and the bond that lies between them grounded, mixing well with the sensual tone Smith has created. Those looking for a sexy, intriguing drama might be happy to call up Birds of Paradise for some nighttime viewing. Read full review
67
The PlaylistLauren J. CoatesSep 27, 2021
While the film’s more artistic sequences feel out of place and not entirely thought through, Diana Silvers and Kristine Froseths’ performances make the ballet dram compelling, though not entirely en pointe. Read full review
63
RogerEbert.comNell MinowSep 27, 2021
Director Sarah Adina Smith has a gift for striking images and creating intriguingly spooky moods, bordering on gothic, but the plot is so overstuffed we hardly have time to even notice Jacqueline Bisset as the demanding director of the ballet group. Read full review
60
The GuardianAdrian HortonSep 24, 2021
Birds of Paradise, then, settles into a weird, slightly unsettling middle-ground – beautiful yet hollow, intriguing yet distanced, skillfully performed without much of a beating heart. Like its principal dancers, its a portrait of contrasts, though the friction here doesn’t generate much heat. Read full review
50
The Hollywood ReporterRobyn BahrSep 27, 2021
Shaheen Seth’s libidinous, compelling cinematography beautifully complements Nora Takacs Ekberg’s lush “haunted dollhouse” production design. But while Birds of Paradise is a worthy sensory experience, the visual and aural pleasures are not enough to sustain the tension. Read full review
50
The New York TimesJeannette CatsoulisSep 23, 2021
Structured around a countdown to the ultimate prize, the story is a soapy slog of sabotage and betrayal. Sex and drugs are as prevalent as pliés, the absence of a likable character as irksome as the constant conniving. Read full review
50
Movie NationRoger MooreSep 23, 2021
The dance sequences, what few there are, have more daring to them than the plot of the picture. The back-stabbing and bonding and breaking down are all so tame that you wonder why they bothered. Read full review
42
The A.V. ClubIgnatiy VishnevetskySep 22, 2021
The real problem is that the film isn’t trashy, soapy, or stylized enough be fun. Read full review
38
Slant MagazineDerek SmithSep 22, 2021
Birds of Paradise lacks the nuance and finesse needed for its story to really take flight. Read full review
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