Brad Bird's animated noir Ray Gunn arrives on Netflix

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 10 Oct, 15:00 · Archive

Brad Bird's animated sci-fi noir Ray Gunn, starring Sam Rockwell and Scarlett Johansson, premieres on Netflix in December.

Brad Bird's animated sci-fi noir Ray Gunn premiered at the London Film Festival this weekend, with a theatrical release to follow before arriving on Netflix in December. Sam Rockwell voices Raymond Gunn, an ex-cop turned private detective, while Scarlett Johansson plays a femme fatale. The film is set in a retro-futurist city inspired by Metropolis and Blade Runner, featuring flying cars, moving walkways and hologram billboards.

The story follows Gunn as he becomes entangled with Johansson's character whilst working in a world marked by prejudice against aliens. His past includes covering up for a female detective with whom he was in love. Tom Waits voices Eyera, an alien who faces discrimination, denied entry to a humans-only hospital after a bruising incident.

The Guardian calls Ray Gunn 'smart, witty, humane', praising its 'old-fashioned entertainment values' and cityscape design. The film retrieves the noir genre from what the review describes as 'dull, AI-formulaic stories and visuals'. The project represents Bird's dream work for the streaming era, consistent with his previous animated films that explore themes of exceptional individuals chafing against institutional restrictions.

How it is being reported

• Ray Gunn review – Brad Bird’s animated film-noir sci-fi caper is an old-school family classicSam Rockwell voices the gumshoe who becomes embroiled with Scarlett Johansson’s femme fatale in this big-hearted and beautifully designed fantasy spectacular Brad Bird, the Spielberg of animation, applies his masterly authorial touch to a terrific family film that retrieves the genre from the doldrums of dull, AI-formulaic stories and visuals. This animation is smart, witty, humane: a fantasy spectacular with old-fashioned entertainment values and some amazing cityscape design showcasing a beguiling and sweet romance. The setting is a city of marvels in a world to come, a retro-futurist…The Guardian · 10 Oct, 14:45
• First Look Review: Brad Bird Returns with the Gorgeous Animated Sci-fi Thriller ‘Ray Gunn’ for NetflixSam Rockwell and Scarlett Johansson star in the Incredibles director's new Netflix spectacular.New York Post · 10 Oct, 14:45

In this story: Brad Bird · Sam Rockwell · Scarlett Johansson · Tom Waits · Netflix · London Film Festival

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