Rotten Tomatoes
Movies Tv shows RT App News Showtimes

Until the Birds Return

Play trailer Poster for Until the Birds Return 2017 1h 53m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
75% Tomatometer 8 Reviews 67% Popcornmeter Fewer than 50 Ratings
Past and present collide in the lives of a newly wealthy property developer, an ambitious neurologist impeded by wartime wrongdoings and a young woman torn between the path of reason and sentiment.

Where to Watch

Until the Birds Return

Critics Reviews

View More
Devika Girish New York Times 04/30/2020
As its characters traverse the country's crisscrossing motorways, "Until the Birds Return" locates the singular moments that form the nodes of a shared national history. Go to Full Review Jordan Mintzer The Hollywood Reporter 05/23/2017
An intriguing first feature from writer-director Karim Moussaoui that explores the damaged emotional landscape of his homeland. Go to Full Review Harvey S. Karten Big Apple Reviews 04/21/2020
B+
A trio of minimally connected stories amid the background of a prosperous looking Algeria. Go to Full Review Oktay Ege Kozak Paste Magazine 04/15/2020
7.8/10
The switch in narrative is so seamless and organic, the camera a fly on the wall that just happens to attach itself to the next random individual. Go to Full Review Kyle Kohner The Playlist 10/23/2018
D+
Missing the crucial connective chord that ties it all together, the filmmaker inadvertently does a huge disservice to the culture he clearly holds so dearly. Go to Full Review Amber Wilkinson Eye for Film 03/29/2018
3/5
Like so many anthology films, it suffers from the fact that the sections are uneven, with the middle segment soaring high above the two bookend stories. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View More
06/17/2020 not interested in watching See more 08/11/2017 A Beautifully constructed film showcasing the lives of three people or three stories interconnected in the vastness of the Algerian landscape. This film gives us a clear peak into the life and times of these ordinary characters as they face the hardships of modern times. Karim Moussaoui gets right to the center of modern Algerian society touching upon it's civil war back drop and cultural contextual nature in such a fascinating manner. It's hard to not be invested in the central drama and conflict set against these characters within the film's concentrated three act structure. The film focuses on themes such as guilt, responsibility, love and honest living, aided by it's stunning cinematography to bring out it's deserted setting, fine direction, and well written and acted characters, it's the most unique cinematic experience I've from a country I've never really paid attention to let alone aware it even had much of a film industry. See more Read all reviews
Until the Birds Return

My Rating

Read More Read Less WRITE A REVIEW EDIT REVIEW POST RATING

Cast & Crew

View All

Karim Moussaoui

Director

Mohamed Djouhri

Mourad

Sonia Mekkiou

Lila

Mehdi Ramdani

Djalil

Hania Amar

Aïcha

Chawki Amari

le père d'Aïcha
View All

Until the Birds Return

Until the Birds Return (2017) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis Past and present collide in the lives of a newly wealthy property developer, an ambitious neurologist impeded by wartime wrongdoings and a young woman torn between the path of reason and sentiment.
Director
Karim Moussaoui
Producer
David Thion, Philippe Martin
Screenwriter
Karim Moussaoui, Maud Ameline
Production Co
CADC, NiKo Film, MK2 Films, Les Films Pelléas, arte France Cinéma, Prolégomènes
Genre
Drama
Original Language
French (France)
Release Date (Streaming)
Apr 28, 2020
Runtime
1h 53m