

Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
How did we end up here?
A fading actor best known for his portrayal of a popular superhero attempts to mount a comeback by appearing in a Broadway play. As opening night approaches, his attempts to become more altruistic, rebuild his career, and reconnect with friends and family prove more difficult than expected.
TMDB
7.4/10
13,972 votes
IMDb
Not rated yet
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- Status
- Released
- Budget
- $18M
- Box office
- $103.2M
- Language
- English
- new york city
- midlife crisis
- show business
- superhero
- dark comedy
- times square
- alter ego
- aging actor
- broadway
- magic realism
- disturbed
- city life
Top billed cast
















Behind the camera
Director
Music
Produced in
United States of America
Where to watch
Availability for India. Provided by JustWatch through the TMDB API.
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Videos
Release dates
IndiaIN
- TheatricalA30 Jan 2015
United StatesUS
- PremiereTelluride Film Festival30 Aug 2014
- PremiereNew York Film Festival11 Oct 2014
- PremiereHamptons International Film Festival12 Oct 2014
- PremierePhiladelphia Film Festival16 Oct 2014
- Theatrical (limited)R17 Oct 2014
- PremiereChicago International Film Festival18 Oct 2014
- PremiereFilmColumbia Festival23 Oct 2014
- Theatrical14 Nov 2014
United KingdomGB
- PremiereBFI London Film Festival15 Oct 2014
- PremiereBrighton Film Festival / Leeds International Film Festival20 Nov 2014
- Theatrical (limited)26 Dec 2014
- Theatrical151 Jan 2015
United Arab EmiratesAE
- PremiereDubai International Film Festival14 Dec 2014
AustraliaAU
- TheatricalMA 15+15 Jan 2015
CanadaCA
- Theatrical14A24 Oct 2014
ArgentinaAR
- PremiereMar del Plata Film Festival23 Nov 2014
- Theatrical+1612 Feb 2015
AustriaAT
- PremiereVienna International Film Festival29 Oct 2014
- Theatrical1030 Jan 2015
BelgiumBE
- PremiereGent International Film Festival24 Oct 2014
- TheatricalAL28 Jan 2015
BrazilBR
- Theatrical1629 Jan 2015
BulgariaBG
- Theatrical30 Jan 2015
ChileCL
- Theatrical1422 Jan 2015
Frequently asked questions
Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) was released on 17 October 2014.
Audience reviews
6- T
tmdb39513728
2/4/2015
**mounting spontaneity** or (dumb luck) It's not fair. I love Raymond Carver, long takes, theatre, Batman, NYC rooftops and alleyways, the blending layers of self-referential fiction, delirious fantasy, the creative process, the insane logistics of run-on cinematography, the seamless assembly of shifting environments, stepping into unresolved mental spaces, demonstrations of solitary madness and the unbearable …
- D1/10
Dean
6/9/2016
First of all, let me say, I like most of movies where Naomi Watts plays & thought this one would be good too, after all it has high ratings, but don't be fooled by famous actors which play in this movie. Don't be fooled & think that movie is good. No, not at all. This movie is complete junk. It supposed to be a comedy, but I didn't even find it funny. It's just like a big mess. I started watching it & I couldn't last…
- M9/10
mattwilde123
3/9/2017
This film tells the story of an over-the-hill actor called Riggan Thomson (brilliantly portrayed by Michael Keaton) who was once the star of a superhero blockbuster franchise known as 'Birdman'. We are shown his journey into making a Broadway production starting with the initial rehearsals and read-throughs. What follows is a brilliant exploration of celebrity culture in an intriguing and satirical way. 'Birdman' …
- M10/10
Matthew Brady
1/27/2020
"I'm nothing. I'm not even here." The story to Birdman is about an wash up actor (Michael Keaton) - famous for portraying an iconic superhero - as he struggles to mount a Broadway play. In the days leading up to opening night, he battles his ego and attempts to recover his family, his career, and himself. Okay in my review of Whiplash I bought this movie up mid way through the review just to give a heads up of …
- P6/10
Peter McGinn
12/16/2020
I was drawn to watch this film for a couple of reasons. One, basically, was Michael Keaton. Overall I find movies are worth a look when he is in it. Also there is the play within a play, the stage production his character is doing, based on an actual short story by Raymond a carver. When I first started writing short stories and novels decades ago, I was influenced by Carver’s spare writing style and his realistic d…
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