Film Review: BIRDS OF PREY (2020): Visually-pleasing but Narratively-bereft, it misses its Social Justice & Empathy Targets

Birds of Prey Review

Birds of Prey (2020) Film Review, directed by Cathy Yan, and starring Margot Robbie, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Derek Wilson, Ewan McGregor, Matthew Willig, Jurnee Smollett-Bell, Chris Messina, Rosie Perez, Steven Williams, Charlene Amoia, Ali Wong, Isabel Pakzad, François Chau, Ella Jay Basco, and Robert Catrini.

With Ewan McGregor starring opposite Margot Robbie as the villain Romy, a.k.a. Black Mask, fighting for a Gotham City-lore fortune stored inside a mythical diamond, there’s much to be confused about in Cathy Yan’s Birds of Prey. There are many visceral details that make it a memorable film, including Harley Quinn’s rebound pet hyena, the backstories of Mary Elizabeth Winstead’s Huntress, and the ongoing, if not exhausting, reminder of Harley’s breakup with not only the Joker, but Jared Leto’s abysmal performance in Suicide Squad. This is not to say, however, that Birds of Prey is an irreverent film. With surprisingly successful visuals throughout, the film’s cinematography is one of Birds of Prey‘s dual justifications for existence, the other being Robbie’s outstanding lead performance, even if it is a continuation of her strange New Jersey accented caricature from Suicide Squad. 

With Margot Robbie serving as producer of Birds of Prey, and this film being a follow-up to the highly controversial Suicide Squad, it is understandable that the film would follow the social justice-based formula of the times. This consists of: pandering to basic diversity requirements, implementing political messages, and generally doing the bare minimum when it comes to actually branching out in terms of making a concrete political statement on “girl power”. An example of this from Birds of Prey is when Harley explains to Black Canary what a harlequin is and how she no longer feels the need to serve a master. While this is a genuinely feminist moment, it brings nothing new to the table in terms of the formulaic module for political standards in film. Maybe this is to be expected from the sequel to Suicide Squad but expectations may have been higher for a Margot Robbie-spearheaded production. 

With so many different elements to understand about Birds of Prey, many of which are not resolved by the end of the film, it is still an enjoyable movie to watch. The build-ups to Huntress, Black Canary, and Cass’ characters all imply some sort of coming together for a greater purpose, which is eventually fulfilled, at the end of the film. That notwithstanding, there is something rather anticlimactic about all of these components combining. For example, it would have been more satisfying for these female protagonists not to have been a simple means to an end for male antagonists’ agendas.

This is showcased in Black Mask’s storyline in  Birds of Prey. Black Mask’s pursuit of a pricey diamond deeply parallels the Joker’s exploitation of Harley as a sidekick – instead of doing the Joker’s bidding, she does the bidding of Black Mask, against her will, until turning against him for her own interests. Had she not chosen to help Black Mask, she would have died, much like had she not broken up with the Joker, she would not have regained her personal autonomy. Unfortunately for Birds of Prey, this narrative parallel is not only boring, it doesn’t carry the film as sufficiently as one would assume. Coupled with Harley’s kitschy narration as the film progresses, substantive character development for the lead character in the film is left by the wayside. 

Birds of Prey, a film that includes commentary on police brutality, feminism, cultural appropriation, and even voting for Bernie Sanders, has a plethora of plot holes and little emotional connection between the characters, leaving much to be desired. While it is, in general, a visually-pleasing and well-paced film, maybe next time DC will use its perpetuation of girl power in a less convoluted way.

Rating: 8/10

Leave your thoughts on this Birds of Prey review and the film below in the comments section. Readers seeking to support this type of content can visit our Patreon Page and become one of FilmBook’s patrons. Readers seeking more film reviews can visit our Movie Review Page, our Movie Review Twitter Page, and our Movie Review Facebook Page. Want up-to-the-minute notifications? FilmBook staff members publish articles by Email, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Tumblr, Pinterest, and Flipboard.