Bellbird

Audience Reviews

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Meri S @mschroeder Jul 29, 2026 How does this sweet, understated movie have such bad audience ratings? It’s a slow moving, human story. I just love to find these rare gems. See more

Catherine W @Catherine416 Sep 17, 2024 Mesmerising. I didn't expect such a rich film: sad, gentle, funny. The cinematography is stunning. The beauty of the landscape, the relentless tedium of dairy farming, the solitude, the necessary stoicism. There is very little dialogue. You are reminded of the terrible muteness of men. There is no grand denouement, no villains, no happy ending, just a gradual unfolding. The viewer breathes again. See more

nefasto r @Nefasto Aug 5, 2020 Just like a song played with the ukulele, this film is cute, undemanding, simple but touching and heartfelt. Impossible not to love all the characters. See more

Jul 15, 2020 Beautiful, gentle, and earthy exploration of grief. It's well-acted for the most part. I found some of the performers a bit stilted and overacting. It's a very slow burn story but always felt engaging with some witty dialogue — when there is dialogue. One of the key features of the story is that the father and son really don't know how to open up to each other. So the themes of masculine aversion to expressing feelings is strong, even though it is obvious that they are experiencing them. The humour is very gentle and rooted in the everyday life or the farm and rural community. And there are moments of profound deep tragedy. BELLBIRD requires patience to watch given its pace, but is surprisingly rewarding. The photography is beautifully done as would be expected in a movie filmed in New Zealand. Worth a look if you can manage the slow pace. See more

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Bellbird

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