White Bird in a Blizzard

Name: White Bird in a Blizzard
Genre: Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Released: October 24, 2014
Duration: 91 min
Rating: 51
Cast: Angela Bassett, Christopher Meloni, Dale Dickey, Eva Green, Gabourey Sidibe

2014

METASCORE

Mixed or average reviews based on 27 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Mixed or average reviews based on 37 Ratings

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5.7

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5.7	User Score Mixed or average reviews based on 37 Ratings

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White Bird In A Blizzard

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Movie Details & Credits

Magnolia Pictures | Release Date: October 24, 2014 | R

Starring: Angela Bassett, Christopher Meloni, Dale Dickey, Eva Green, Gabourey Sidibe, Shailene Woodley, Shiloh Fernandez, Thomas Jane

Summary: Kat Connors is 17 years old when her perfect homemaker mother, Eve, a beautiful, enigmatic, and haunted woman, disappears—just as Kat is discovering and relishing her newfound sexuality. Having lived for so long in a stifled, emotionally repressed household, she barely registers her mother's absence and certainly doesn't blame her doormatKat Connors is 17 years old when her perfect homemaker mother, Eve, a beautiful, enigmatic, and haunted woman, disappears—just as Kat is discovering and relishing her newfound sexuality. Having lived for so long in a stifled, emotionally repressed household, she barely registers her mother's absence and certainly doesn't blame her doormat of a father, Brock, for the loss. In fact, it's almost a relief. But as time passes, Kat begins to come to grips with how deeply Eve's disappearance has affected her. Returning home on a break from college, she finds herself confronted with the truth about her mother's departure, and her own denial about the events surrounding it. [Magnolia Pictures]… Expand

Director: Gregg Araki

Genre(s): Drama, Mystery, Thriller

Rating: R

Runtime: 91 min

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Critic Reviews

The Telegraph Robbie Collin

Mar 5, 2015

Woodley is the teen angst poster girl de nos jours, but this performance is subtler and richer than any other she’s given to date. Read full review

Peter Debruge

Jan 27, 2014

It’s naughty, campy and wildly uneven. Read full review

Noel Murray

Oct 21, 2014

Because the tone is so erratic, it’s hard to know whether its anticlimactic quality is a botch on Araki’s part, or a purposeful bit of genre subversion. Read full review

Ben Nicholson

Mar 5, 2015

Araki does manage to give Kasischke's ending a subversive little twist, but the scenario has spawned numerous complex questions and while they may be given traction throughout, the rushed and forced conclusion leaves one simultaneously nonchalant and conflicted, much like Kat. Read full review

Claudia Puig

Oct 23, 2014

White Bird in a Blizzard is blank, pale and flat when it needs to be probing and suspenseful. Read full review

Mick LaSalle

Oct 30, 2014

An odd little concoction, a coming-of-age story that, only in passing, is also a mystery. Read full review

Lou Lumenick

Oct 22, 2014

“Scratch the surface and there’s only more surface,’’ a character all too accurately observes in this clunky, ugly and dull mash-up of a mystery. Read full review

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User Reviews

LowbrowCinema

Oct 27, 2014

Gregg Araki continues his exploration of the American nightmare that is suburbia and unfortunately, he once again can't maintain a balance of cohesion to truly make WHITE BIRD IN A BLIZZARD soar. Similar in many ways to Araki's masterwork MYSTERIOUS SKIN, WHITE BIRD has two amazing centralGregg Araki continues his exploration of the American nightmare that is suburbia and unfortunately, he once again can't maintain a balance of cohesion to truly make WHITE BIRD IN A BLIZZARD soar. Similar in many ways to Araki's masterwork MYSTERIOUS SKIN, WHITE BIRD has two amazing central performances from Eva Green and Shailene Woodley that keep the film in the air but eventually one simply loses interest. Another missed opp from this very talented filmmaker who has now been producing and directing uneven but fascinating works for more than 20 years.… Expand

1 of 2 users found this helpful11

Stargirl04

May 15, 2016

I really enjoyed this one! It was a tad bit predictable but I love the cast, a lot of great names. I will have to read the book and see how it compares but overall I thought it was good.

1 of 2 users found this helpful11

pulpdiction

Nov 1, 2014

I think it's a great movie... hard to get a movie that delivers this kind of attachment and curiosity about the characters without being bored or overworked... it's not a wannabee classic and it doesnt sound pretentious... i think it's a cool mix between american beauty and far fromI think it's a great movie... hard to get a movie that delivers this kind of attachment and curiosity about the characters without being bored or overworked... it's not a wannabee classic and it doesnt sound pretentious... i think it's a cool mix between american beauty and far from heaven... it has a bit of a soap opera gone dark and man i love the way and the speed this guy directs...
dont change your style please... i really think the critics got this one wrong… Expand

2 of 3 users found this helpful21

Spangle

Apr 23, 2016

White Bird in a Blizzard is that kind of film that is just so truly average, there are few words that can come up when you try to gather your thoughts about it. A middling thriller and a middling coming of age film, White Bird in a Blizzard seems content to evenly divide time between solvingWhite Bird in a Blizzard is that kind of film that is just so truly average, there are few words that can come up when you try to gather your thoughts about it. A middling thriller and a middling coming of age film, White Bird in a Blizzard seems content to evenly divide time between solving its mystery and having the protagonist sleep with every guy she meets and then brag about it later. On its own, either would be okay if expanded upon. Together during a hour and a half film, it feels tonally jumbled and all over the place. It was if they could not decide what kind of film they wanted to make and instead decided to make both. This is too bad because it wastes a good performance from Shailene Woodley and a truly captivating mystery and what would have been a worthy sexual coming of age film. While nothing overly original, White Bird in a Blizzard takes two workable genres and mashes them together and winds up hurting the overall product as a result.… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

JLuis_001

Sep 6, 2017

White Bird In A Blizzard shows itself as a nice film although with obvious structural flaws, the film is faster and digestible, Eva Green is practically wasted, has good scenes but her role although relevant does not achieve enough, Christopher Meloni also does not convince at all as theWhite Bird In A Blizzard shows itself as a nice film although with obvious structural flaws, the film is faster and digestible, Eva Green is practically wasted, has good scenes but her role although relevant does not achieve enough, Christopher Meloni also does not convince at all as the father of Kat and Shaileene Woodley fails to give more dynamism to her character.

Yeah, she's nude on the film but so what, that's not a good performance.… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

Axgrinder

Oct 26, 2014

Right about now, Shailene Woodley is no doubt wishing the studio (Magnolia Pictures) had lost this film in a blizzard. Ms. Woodley plays Kat Conners, a teenager on the brink of graduating high school when her mother, Eve (Eva Green) disappears. Kat doesn’t seem to have any idea what couldRight about now, Shailene Woodley is no doubt wishing the studio (Magnolia Pictures) had lost this film in a blizzard. Ms. Woodley plays Kat Conners, a teenager on the brink of graduating high school when her mother, Eve (Eva Green) disappears. Kat doesn’t seem to have any idea what could have happened to her mother, and claims she doesn’t care, but keeps having snowy dreams about her. Kat’s friends and everyone else seem to think they know what happened. The movie is supposed to be a mystery thriller, but is totally devoid of any drama. Instead of getting caught up in a blizzard, we are left watching snow melt. The movie is mostly about the two years it takes to Kat to wake up and smell the coffee and then, in the last five minutes, everything is explained via narration. As a result, the movie is both dull and irritating. The pace is very slow and the dialogue is horribly lame, awkward, and stilted. The film allegedly takes place in the 1980’s, but director Gregg Araki doesn’t seem to have a clue about life in that decade. He introduces a mishmash of elements from decades both before and after the 1980’s. There’s lots of nudity involving the very good looking Ms. Woodley, but the scenes are so contrived one is left thinking that everyone but her knew this bird was dead on arrival and were trying to do something/anything to keep people in their seats.… Expand

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

Broyax

Sep 16, 2020

Malgré son heure et demi syndicale, un film extrêmement poussif et très ennuyeux à tel point qu’on ne le termine pas, loin de là ! on éteint bien avant la moitié tellement ça se traîne à n’en plus pouvoir…. Eva Green en mère hystéro-maniaco-dépressive perd son temps ici et quant à ShaylèneMalgré son heure et demi syndicale, un film extrêmement poussif et très ennuyeux à tel point qu’on ne le termine pas, loin de là ! on éteint bien avant la moitié tellement ça se traîne à n’en plus pouvoir…. Eva Green en mère hystéro-maniaco-dépressive perd son temps ici et quant à Shaylène je sais plus quoi, elle joue comme un pied (comme d’habitude me dira-t-on) et bien qu’ils aient tenté de l’arranger un peu, elle a toujours une sale gueule.

Non franchement, elle a une tronche de cageot et le charisme d’une andouillette douteuse… même si elle semble pas mal gaulée, franchement elle fout les glandes : il faut lui mettre un sac sur la tête ! elle a un regard de poisson mort. De toute façon, on s’emmerde dans ce psychodrame à deux dollars qui pédale sans la semoule lamentablement… on se croirait à vrai dire dans un double épisode des Feux de l’Amour ! oui, c’est si nul à chier que ça, c’est dingue !… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

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