Caught this at the festival last week. I wish I hadn't. How Netflix was convinced to make this into a movie is beyond me. The book had an actual ending. This is not the same story though. Some white girl is confused and goes to find herself in mystical Asian country. Then she falls apart further because of, wait for it, some guy that is closed-off emotionally, sends all these creepy signals, and just takes pictures of her, controlling what she does. Pitting woman against woman, this (non-Japanese, male) director makes it so the Asian guy gets even creepier. Sigh. It's 2019 and this film cost millions I assume. What's it offer? Sexism, Asian fantasy, the Yellow Peril, all wrapped up in a total mess of a film with the viewers never sure if we're watching a dream, a fantasy, something real from the past, or from the future.
Review of Earthquake Bird
