Birdman tells the story of Riggan Thomson, a faded actor famous for playing a superhero called Birdman in blockbuster movies years ago. He desperately wants respect as a serious artist, so he writes, directs, and stars in a Broadway play based on a Raymond Carver story. The movie follows his chaotic week leading up to opening night, filled with family drama, critics who hate him, and his own crumbling sanity.
The film looks and sounds special from start to finish. It uses one continuous shot style, like the camera never stops moving or cutting, making everything feel real and urgent. Drums play almost non-stop in the background, adding to the tension. Riggan talks to his old Birdman character in his head, who pushes him to go back to superhero fame for money and glory.
As opening night gets closer, things fall apart. Riggan’s ex-wife visits, his daughter is mad at him for being a bad dad, and a hotshot actor dies in a freak accident during rehearsal, which Riggan covers up. A tough critic threatens to trash the play before even seeing it. Riggan snaps and shoots himself in the head onstage with a real gun instead of a prop, in a wild moment that stuns everyone.
Now the ending. After the shooting, Riggan survives but has bandages on his face in the hospital. His daughter visits, and they seem to connect for the first time. Then we see Riggan at a window high up, looking out. He jumps or falls, but instead of crashing, wings sprout from his back like a real bird. He flies away over New York City as his daughter watches in awe from below, smiling.
What does it mean? The ending is open to interpretation, but most see it as Riggan finally breaking free. The gunshot might not have killed him physically, or maybe he dies and this is his mind’s happy escape. Either way, he achieves artistic success. The play gets rave reviews, calling the shooting brilliant method acting. Riggan transcends his washed-up image and becomes legendary, literally turning into the Birdman he always fought inside.
Some think the flying is a hallucination, showing Riggan’s delusion or peace after failure. Others say it’s real in the movie’s dreamlike world, where superpowers feel possible amid all the backstage magic tricks and chaos. Director Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu leaves it ambiguous on purpose, blending reality and fantasy just like the long-take filming blurs stage and street.
Riggan’s arc is about chasing real art over fake fame. The ending rewards him ambiguously, questioning if true freedom comes from success, death, or imagination. Fans still debate it years later because it sticks with you.
Sources
https://id.wikipedia.org/wiki/Birdman
https://www.screenrant.com/birdman-movie-ending-explained/
