‘Bird’ Review: Andrea Arnold’s Arresting, Surreal Drama Soars

In “Bird,” the excellent new drama from writer-director Andrea Arnold, we are dropped into the life of 12-year-old Bailey in one of the few times where she seems truly free. Played by Nykiya Adams in an astounding feature debut, she is sharing a peaceful moment with a bird when nobody else is around. While a smile gently sneaks onto her face, it disappears just as quickly when the moment of quiet reverie is interrupted by the troubles that define her life. Bailey will spend the remainder of the film trying to find this peace amidst everyday turmoil, forming a bond with a stranger who floats through her community in North Kent looking to reconnect with their past.