5 Great Movies Brad Bird Says to Watch Before Netflix’s ‘Ray Gunn’
Brad Bird, the acclaimed animator behind Ratatouille and The Incredibles, is bringing a distinctive retro-futuristic noir to Netflix with his upcoming film Ray Gunn. The director describes the project as a fusion of The Maltese Falcon and Buck Rogers—blending hard-boiled detective storytelling with pulp science fiction. After nearly 30 years in development, Bird is realizing this unconventional mashup through Netflix.
Set in Metropia, a sprawling alternate-future city, the film captures a distinctive aesthetic: futuristic elements like jetpacks, flying cars, and aliens rendered in Art Deco style, reflecting how designers from the 1950s imagined the future. Private investigator Ray Gunn (Sam Rockwell) operates in this city despite machines now handling most detective work. His current case involves assisting pop star Venus Nova (Scarlett Johansson) with a personal scandal.
Bird’s creative philosophy centers on visual contradiction—pairing advanced technology with vintage design sensibilities to create a world that feels both futuristic and nostalgic. The film marks a significant project for the director, combining his distinctive style with a premise relatively unexplored in mainstream cinema. The high-profile casting alongside Netflix’s backing indicates substantial investment in the project as a platform-exclusive release.