Birds of Paradise

R

2021

1h 53m

Drama

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List

63%

32 Reviews

Tomatometer

38%

50+ Ratings

Audience Score

Kate Sanders is an ambitious and gifted, if tomboyish, aspiring ballerina from Virginia who, because of her low-income status, is given a scholarship to attend a prestigious ballet school in Paris, France. Upon arriving at the cutthroat, internationally-renowned institution, her confidence and emotional fortitude are tested by a beautiful, mysterious fellow dancer, Marine Durand, who recently lost her brother (and dance partner) to suicide. While confrontational at first, Kate and Marine’s relationship evolves into an emotionally-charged, competitive union beset by lies, sexual awakening and, ultimately, emotional breakthrough as they risk everything to win the school’s ultimate prize: a contract to join the Opéra national de Paris.

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Steve D

A mixed bag trying a bit too much to shock but more good here than bad.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

11/20/23

Full Review

Cees T

Annoying drama that's still boring at 6x. 4/10 - Very bad.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

10/14/23

Full Review

Fun and sexy but a bit shallow and underdeveloped.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/15/23

Full Review

maureen c

I nearly didn't want to continue, but after some internal conflict in my brain, I decided to finish the movie. It's an amazing movie, full of art. I love the use of colors and the tones. The ending made me cuss and I demanded an explanation of it (in a good way). It's the kind of movie that will leave you bamboozled. Also, I sympathize with Marine. Fck Kate.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

Audience Member

1.5 out of 5 stars. Its a dark ballet story about girls training and competing. While getting involved in drama, sex, drugs, ect. Young adults experimenting and lots of drugs and sex. The plot is dull. The direction is one trippy arthouse film project that has more substance on colorful and mediation music than having any memorable characters and story. Tedious performances. Boring script does make this film very forgettable.

Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars

03/10/22

Full Review

Audience Member

BLACK SWAN meets SUSPIRIA in this rivalling tale about two prima ballerinas vying for a revered prize to join Opéra national de Paris pirouettes with glittery haunted dollhouse aesthetics, leaps with thrilling psychological suspense and lands with a thud of resounding banality.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

01/22/23

Full Review

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Sarah Adina Smith

Director

Diana Silvers

Kate Sanders

Kristine Froseth

Marine Durand

Jacqueline Bisset

Actor

Stav Strashko

Actor

Sarah Adina Smith

Screenwriter

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Birds of Paradise: Trailer 1

2:02

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Heather Hogan

Autostraddle

Birds of Paradise is a fine little lesbian diversion for a moody day. Worst case, you'll remember how good Diana Silvers is in Booksmart and watch that again.

Nov 2, 2021

Full Review

Tim Cogshell

FilmWeek (KPCC - NPR Los Angeles)

The dancers are very good, and Jacqueline Bisset playing that devil -- she was absolutely outstanding.

Sep 29, 2021

Full Review

Amy Nicholson

FilmWeek (KPCC - NPR Los Angeles)

High class trash... It is a film that you don't necessarily feel proud of yourself for enjoying as much as you do.

Sep 29, 2021

Full Review

Ruth Maramis

FlixChatter Film Blog

The visual flair + bizarre dance sequences are quite fun to watch, and the two young leads are terrific, but the film further perpetuates the notion that ballet is creepy and filled with terror.

Rated: 3/5

Feb 23, 2023

Full Review

Jason Flatt

But Why Tho? A Geek Community

Birds of Paradise is not a straightforward relationship between its main characters, but neither is any dynamic between two teenagers.

Rated: 8.5/10

Jan 16, 2023

Full Review

John McDonald

Australian Financial Review

By the end it feels like an episode of Project Runway.

Nov 10, 2021

Full Review

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Synopsis

Kate Sanders is an ambitious and gifted, if tomboyish, aspiring ballerina from Virginia who, because of her low-income status, is given a scholarship to attend a prestigious ballet school in Paris, France. Upon arriving at the cutthroat, internationally-renowned institution, her confidence and emotional fortitude are tested by a beautiful, mysterious fellow dancer, Marine Durand, who recently lost her brother (and dance partner) to suicide. While confrontational at first, Kate and Marine’s relationship evolves into an emotionally-charged, competitive union beset by lies, sexual awakening and, ultimately, emotional breakthrough as they risk everything to win the school’s ultimate prize: a contract to join the Opéra national de Paris.

Director: Sarah Adina Smith
Screenwriter: Sarah Adina Smith
Production Co: Anonymous Content, Everything Is Everything
Rating: R
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Sep 24, 2021
Runtime: 1h 53m

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