Bleeding Blue Bird

Bleeding Blue Bird transforms Maurice Maeterlinck's symbolist play into a hypnotic psychological thriller about the dangerous space where performance and reality blur. Dr Who's Arthur Darvill (an Olivier award winner and Shakesperean actor) excels as a theatre director who must inhabit his own production, after an actor's abduction leading him into a surreal maze where the boundaries of art and life dissolve.

Director Lev Prudkin who grew up backstage in Moscow, watching his award-winning thesp grandfather Mark Prudkin perform, brings authentic theatrical sensibility to this meta-narrative. Filmed in Kyiv's Theatre on Podil before the war, the production design and cinematography create a genuinely immersive dreamworld. Hannah Arterton performs as the Queen of Night supported by performances from Iryna Kudashova and Alina Kovalenko.

The film's strength is its ability to be intellectually ambitious without becoming tedious. The soundtrack featuring Depeche Mode Actress and Else enhances rather than overwhelms and the pacing keeps you engaged even as reality fractures. This is the rare art film that trusts its audience to navigate ambiguity while still delivering emotional and visceral impact.

Fans of Black Swan and Birdman will find similar themes explored through a fresh lens. Bleeding Blue Bird proves that experimental cinema can be both thought-provoking and genuinely entertaining. A confident second feature from a Moscow trained, Paris-based director that rewards multiple viewings.

Verdict An exploration of creativity's cost that lingers long after viewing.