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High Flying Bird

Play trailer 2:05 Poster for High Flying Bird 2019 1h 30m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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91% Tomatometer 138 Reviews 49% Popcornmeter 250+ Ratings
A sports agent pitches a controversial business opportunity to a rookie basketball player during a lockout.
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High Flying Bird

High Flying Bird

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Critics Consensus

High Flying Bird takes a thoughtful and engrossing look at professional sports that sees Steven Soderbergh continuing to test the limits of new filmmaking technology.

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Critics Reviews

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Guy Lodge Guardian Soderbergh's liveliest, most big-thinking work since Magic Mike, this is a quick, zingy, all-business sports drama that plays like Jerry Maguire with twin degrees in economics and sociology. Rated: 4/5 Dec 11, 2019 Full Review Andrea Gronvall Chicago Reader Directed, shot, and edited by Steven Soderbergh, this cerebral Netflix original is an even more incisive drama about the business of sports than Moneyball. Dec 11, 2019 Full Review Kimberley Jones Austin Chronicle McCraney understands rhythm and melody. His dialogue has real musicality, and these actors -- this cast is so good -- deliver their lines accordingly; they know when to lean into the beat, when to sotto voce, when to sound the timpani. Dec 11, 2019 Full Review Aaron Charles InSession Film It is flashy, stylish, and perceptive. Rated: B May 10, 2024 Full Review Dallas King Flick Feast Easily the best film about sports since Moneyball and a complete slam dunk for Soderbergh who is having a much more significant and successful return from retirement than Michael Jordan! Rated: 4/5 Nov 10, 2022 Full Review Keith Garlington Keith & the Movies As a filmmaker who likes to tackle a variety of subjects in a variety of different ways, this is a movie right up Soderbergh’s alley. Rated: 4/5 Aug 21, 2022 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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David G I get the whole point of the movie. But I found it incredibly boring. Rated 1 out of 5 stars 11/03/24 Full Review Andrea C Interessante ed originale film sul basket, o meglio sul mondo che gira intorno al basket professionistico negli USA. La situazione del cosiddetto "lockout", molto reale in quanto più volte accaduta dagli anni '90 in poi, viene ben raccontata ed analizzata, così come l'utilizzo dei social media come parte ormai totalmente integrante della comunicazione (anche ad alti livelli) ed in grado di essere enormemente centrale nella sceneggiatura. Molto interessante l'inserimento delle testimonianze di 3 veri giocatori NBA sui loro anni da matricole nella lega. Purtroppo questo è l'unico accenno di "realtà" presente nel film; tutto il resto è frutto di fantasia, prendere o lasciare. Parte però della bravura dello sceneggiatore e del regista Soderbergh è proprio quella di far sembrare la trama qualcosa di realmente accaduto, per nulla semplice o scontato. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 06/13/23 Full Review HENRY A Perfect movie to see during the NBA Finals, taught me what it was all about. The Game. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 06/02/23 Full Review Jackson M Low energy, no plot, and poor cinematography. Rated 1 out of 5 stars 02/15/23 Full Review Audience Member Technically fascinating - it was shot an iPhone, meaning we get to see events from perspectives rarely possible with more conventional techniques. It's well-acted also, a decent script - it's just a little dramatically inert, especially of you're sporting interests lie outside the NBA. It raises important issues around race in the context of professional sport and economics, but it needs more to grip us and make us care Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 02/07/23 Full Review Audience Member Steven Soderbergh has an interesting take on the NBA draft system in this thought-provoking feature. However, entertainment value is not it's strongest point and I'm not sure I'd want to watch it again. With that said the editing style is pretty novel and does add an extra layer of interest to the film. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 02/03/23 Full Review Read all reviews
High Flying Bird

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Cast & Crew

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Movie Info

Synopsis A sports agent pitches a controversial business opportunity to a rookie basketball player during a lockout.
Director
Steven Soderbergh
Producer
Joseph Malloch
Screenwriter
Tarell Alvin McCraney
Production Co
Extension 765
Genre
Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Streaming)
Feb 8, 2019
Runtime
1h 30m
Aspect Ratio
Scope (2.35:1)
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