‘It’s a love-triangle thriller!’
Oscar-winner Alicia Vikander on her disturbing drama set in Tokyo
Earthquake Bird
Available From Friday 15 November
Running time 106 minutes
Netflix’s new one-off thriller Earthquake Bird is set in Tokyo in 1989, and ventures into the sinister underbelly of Japanese society.
Based on the novel of the same name by Susanna Jones and produced by acclaimed director Ridley Scott, the film follows Lucy Fly (Tomb Raider’s Alicia Vikander), a psychologically fragile translator, who we see being brought in for questioning by local police.
Body parts have been found in Tokyo harbour that may belong to Lucy’s missing friend Lily (played by Riley Keough, granddaughter of Elvis and Priscilla Presley).
DARK SECRETS
The story charts the events leading up to Lily’s disappearance in the wake of the girls’ tumultuous love triangle with local photographer Teiji (Naoki Kobayashi).
‘It’s a love-triangle thriller and a film noir, but also a profound film about someone who is trying to reinvent herself and get away from her past,’ says Alicia, 31, who won a Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her performance in the 2016 film The Danish Girl.
‘Lucy has a very big mystery within her. At the beginning, you don’t know if you can trust her.’
In order to play the part, the Swedish actor took cello lessons and learnt to speak Japanese.
‘What I like about being an actor is learning so many different skills,’ says Alicia, who lives in Lisbon with her actor husband Michael Fassbender.
NEW CHALLENGES
‘I always try to find the challenge in every part – whether it’s learning mixed martial arts for Tomb Raider or Japanese for Earthquake Bird,’ she continues. ‘It takes a lot of hours, but it’s always a lot of fun.’