Overview
A gripping tale of ambition and betrayal unfolds in the heart of Colombia's drug boom.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Brutal
- haunting
- dreamlike
- hard-hitting
- arthouse film night
- crime saga marathon
What critics said
Critics broadly praised the film as a visually absorbing, hard-hitting crime saga that refreshes familiar narco-gangster conventions through Wayuu cultural specificity and a clash between old and new worlds.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The Wayuu family’s marijuana enterprise expands into a violent criminal dynasty while remaining rooted in communal and ancestral structures.
Wayuu marriage customs, ancestral authority, and spiritual beliefs collide with American drug demand and new commercial power.
Spirits, dreams, omens, and Wayuu interpretations of the surrounding world shape the film’s atmosphere and dramatic logic.
Rapayet, Úrsula, and their relatives build influence through family bonds, marriage negotiations, honor, and revenge.
Films like Birds of Passage, and why
The Godfather
crime saga structure, family power struggles, and the corrosive effects of wealth and violence
Scarface
drug-trade escalation, ruthless ambition, and operatic criminal melodrama
The Sopranos
intergenerational crime dynasty, betrayal, and intimate family-driven power politics
Embrace of the Serpent
colombian cultural specificity, dreamlike imagery, and historical reckoning with modernity
Movie Details
- Directors
- Ciro Guerra, Cristina Gallego
- Release Date
- 2018-08-02
- Runtime
- 125 min
- Rating
- 7.3 / 10 (334)
Cast
- José Acosta
- Carmiña Martínez
- Natalia Reyes
- Greider Meza
- José Vicente
- Juan Bautista Martínez
- Jhon Narváez
- Miguel Viera
- Sergio Coen
- Aslenis Márquez
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Amazon Prime Video, fuboTV, MUBI, MUBI Amazon Channel, Amazon Prime Video with Ads
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Birds of Passage about?
- A Wayuu family’s marijuana fortune transforms ancestral authority into a volatile dynasty of greed, honor, and revenge.
- What is Birds of Passage like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Birds of Passage as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Birds of Passage violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in Birds of Passage as brutal.
- What did critics think of Birds of Passage?
- Critics broadly praised the film as a visually absorbing, hard-hitting crime saga that refreshes familiar narco-gangster conventions through Wayuu cultural specificity and a clash between old and new worlds.
- Which films are like Birds of Passage?
- Films with a similar feel include The Godfather, Scarface, The Sopranos, and Embrace of the Serpent.
- How long is Birds of Passage?
- Birds of Passage runs 125 minutes.
- Where can I watch Birds of Passage?
- In United States, Birds of Passage streams on Amazon Prime Video, fuboTV, MUBI, MUBI Amazon Channel, Amazon Prime Video with Ads.
