Directed by Brad Bird, the master behind Ratatouille and The Incredibles, the sci-fi noir Ray Gunn marks his return to animation after eight years. Set in Metropia, a 1930s retro-futuristic city where humans and aliens naturally coexist alongside a diverse array of flying vehicles filling the roads, private detective Ray Gunn (Sam Rockwell) persists as a rare human investigator in an era where machines and robots dominate detective work. Alongside his alien assistant Eyera (Tom Waits), Gunn delves into a mysterious murder case involving popular star Venus Nova (Scarlett Johansson), brought to vivid life through stellar voice performances. Blending classic noir romance with ultra-futuristic details, this imaginative world evokes the vision of a real future we might desire to reach, with its realization delivering the height of visual pleasure. Bird’s high-velocity direction and meticulously crafted frames create an overwhelming sense of immersion, seamlessly captivating even non-animation fans.
Brad Bird is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, and voice actor. He made his feature debut with the animated film The Iron Giant (1999). He went on to win the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature twice, for The Incredibles (2004) and Ratatouille (2007), and further established himself as a filmmaker moving seamlessly between animation and live action with Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol (2011) and Tomorrowland (2015).
From Busan International Film Festival 2026, No. 31
