Nicolai Haugsted
Brad Bird’s animated sci-fi noir venture is set to land on Netflix on December 18, but the first reactions are already out.
Critics have released their initial reviews for Ray Gunn, and the reception has been almost unanimous. Described as a delicately animated, retro-futuristic neo-noir that is equal parts detective film and space adventure, the movie premiered globally on October 10 at the BFI London Film Festival. Early reviews have given it a Rotten Tomatoes score of 93 percent based on 15 reviews.
The story unfolds in an alternate 1939, where private detective Raymond Gunn solves cases in Metropia, a city where humans and aliens coexist. He becomes entangled in a murder investigation involving multimedia star Venus Nova, played by Scarlett Johansson. Sam Rockwell voices Ray himself, and the cast also includes Tom Waits, Matt Berry, Bobby Cannavale, Alan Tudyk, and Kathryn Hunter.
Director Brad Bird, known for The Incredibles and Ratatouille, describes the blend as “Maltese Falcon meets Buck Rogers.” The project has been in development for approximately 30 years, a recurring theme in its coverage.
Hailed as Worth the Wait
Several critics called the film Bird’s best work in many years. Jeremy Mathai of Slash Film wrote that “the wait was entirely worth it” after Bird’s eight-year hiatus from the director’s chair, while Matt Singer of Screen Crush highlighted its “frantic pace and a solid sense of fun.”
However, not all critics were equally enthusiastic. The Hollywood Reporter’s reviewer called it subpar, describing the universe as “a blandly palatable mix of sci-fi and neo-noir clichés.” A.V. Club felt the film’s alien metaphor was underdeveloped.
Nevertheless, the score remains solidly in the green, and the audience at the London Film Festival greeted the film with laughter and applause, with festival management introducing it as “a sunny, incredible film.”
Johansson Signed On for Bird
Scarlett Johansson made no secret of what drew her to the project. “What attracted me was Brad. I was really so excited to work with Brad. I’m a huge fan of his,” she said at the press conference following the London premiere.
Bird conceived the idea in the 1990s at Turner Feature Animation but shelved it to direct The Iron Giant. The project was only restarted when Bird signed with Skydance Animation in 2021, which ultimately co-produced with Netflix.
Chose Skydance Over Pixar
One of the most discussed aspects of the story is that Bird left his long-time home Pixar and took Ray Gunn to Skydance. He explained that animated films for teenagers and adults “shouldn’t be a controversial decision,” and that direction did not align well with Pixar’s family-oriented profile.
The film has a budget exceeding $150 million and is animated by Skydance Animation Madrid and Cinesite. Michael Giacchino, a frequent collaborator with Bird, composed the music.
Ray Gunn will have a limited theatrical release in select markets on December 4 and will arrive globally on Netflix on Friday, December 18, 2026.
