Brad Bird’s ‘Ray Gunn’ receives mixed reviews at London Film Festival premiere

Brad Bird’s long-gestating animated sci-fi noir, ‘Ray Gunn’, received mixed critical reviews following its world premiere at the BFI London Film Festival. The project, which Bird has been developing for approximately 30 years, features a voice cast including Sam Rockwell, Scarlett Johansson, and Tom Waits.

Critical reception has been divided. While some outlets, such as The Guardian, offered high praise, others were more critical. The Hollywood Reporter described the film as a “blandly palatable jumble of sci-fi and neo-noir clichés,” and Variety noted a lack of character texture. Some reviewers praised the film’s visual ambition and production design, while others criticized its runtime and narrative execution.

Produced by Skydance Animation and Netflix, the film is set in the futuristic city of Metropia and explores themes of social stratification between humans and aliens. ‘Ray Gunn’ is scheduled for a limited theatrical release on December 4, followed by a global streaming debut on Netflix on December 18.