It won Best Original Screenplay at the Oscars, but its premise is both juvenile and problematic. The idea that a rape victim can only seek justice after death—and not even the justice they truly deserve—feels reductive and misguided.

All those historical inaccuracies and the sympathetic portrayal of homophobia, just for the sake of an offensive and mocking depiction of trans people, a fabricated story about a real-life figure, and the erasure of lesbian, queer people of color, homeless queer individuals, and drag queens during the Stonewall riots.
Ho Chi Minh International Film Festival 2024: HCMC on Screen
I found it surprising to learn that Owl and the Sparrow was directed by an American director, especially since I also watched The Brilliant Darkness! by Aaron Toronto on the same day. The cinematography is very shaky, and visually it resembles a low-budget Vietnamese television soap opera from the 2000s.
However, the story is quite essential and unique. Nonetheless, the film suffers from serious problems with its dialogue; at times,…