Michael Keaton may be the king of the box office thanks to his role in Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, but in 2014, he was the toast of Hollywood after his return to the mainstream with a knockout performance in the Oscar-winning Birdman, which is spreading its wings to land on Hulu next month. The movie was directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu who would go on to win his first Oscar for Best Director, while the film also won the awards for Best Picture and Best Original Screenplay. It was also notable for being a “one shot” film, a method which uses clever camera techniques and editing to make it appear as if the entire film takes place via one camera shot concurrently.

With a knockout score of 91% positive on Rotten Tomatoes, the dark satire — officially called Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance), follows Riggan Thomson (Keaton), a washed-up actor best known for his years as a superhero decades earlier. Riggan attempts to reclaim his former glory by putting on a play on Broadway while trying to run — figuratively and literally — from his past, and his demons. The movie was a great example of meta filmmaking. At the time, Keaton was in the midst of a career slump, having been best known for his roles as Batman and Beetlejuice in the late 80s, so playing a character whose best years were behind him felt very close to the bone.

Is ‘Birdman’ Worth Watching?

Collider’s Perri Nemiroff reviewed the film for the site at the New York Film Festival almost exactly 10 years ago, and raved about it, giving it an A- review.

The one-shot is brilliant and absolutely enhances the experience, but it’s worth noting that the narrative and performances are so good, the film could have held its own without it. Clearly there’s a bit of a crossover between the fiction of the film and Keaton’s career, but, for lack of better words, Keaton’s a natural as Riggan. The character’s got good intentions, but he also has some serious issues too, and because Keaton manages to balance both so well, you’re able to root for Riggan to come out on top while still objectively assessing his behavior and how it affects those around him.
Many are constantly pointing a finger at the industry for leaning far too heavily on familiar stories and scenarios rather than developing original concepts, but
Birdman
goes to show that when you’ve got a solid idea and someone with a clear, impassioned vision to make it happen, you can come out with a film that is truly one-of-a-kind and feels like something you’ve never seen before.

Birdman will debut on Hulu next month. Stay tuned to Collider for more.

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