The first half of the film is torn between being a forbidden romance and a Cold War action-cum-romance like “Top Gun,” with dashes of bootcamp torture. The film finds its footing in the second half when Fetisov pursues acting in cosmopolitan Moscow

| Original Score: 2/4 | Jun 9, 2024

One can glean an earnestness from telling this true tale of a romantic entanglement that forced its participants apart, but leaning on historical context does not negate the formulaic execution.

| Original Score: 5/10 | Jun 8, 2022

...this all becomes very heavy-handed and very on-the-nose.

| Original Score: 2.5/5 | Jun 5, 2022

It thrives on soft power, seeking to tell its truth through quiet emotion rather than fiery drama...When you’ve got a love story this genuine and sincere, it both earns and deserves your attention.

| Original Score: 7/10 | Jun 3, 2022

A direct, heartfelt drama based on the true story of ex-soldier Sergey Fetisov, told without a speck of cynicism or irony.

| Original Score: 3/4 | May 29, 2022

Firebird isn’t the least bit great, but its lover’s embrace will likely mean the world to many.

| May 28, 2022

This monotonous film glorifies a relationship as romantic, when it’s really a doomed love affair where one person in the relationship is very selfish and manipulative. It doesn’t help that some of the acting in Firebird is very stilted and awkward.

| May 27, 2022

It is a film with tension and intrigue of the deepest of love stories... with an important glimpse into a unique window of history.

| May 19, 2022

While it’s perhaps unlikely that Firebird will achieve the same status as that venerable masterpiece, its noble intentions and its unapologetic belief in love make it more than deserving of your attention.

| May 18, 2022

It's hard not to be moved by this gorgeous queer love story, even if it's one we've seen many times before.

| Original Score: 3/5 | May 17, 2022

While the performances are occasionally charming, they’re routinely stupefied by dialogue as catatonic as the “Yes, Sir”/“No, Sir”s of military life, and about as sultry as Moscow’s cold, suburban streets.

| Original Score: D+ | May 16, 2022

Those who need their fix of Cold War romance need look no further.

| Original Score: 6.5/10 | May 11, 2022

If it ultimately adds up to a contrived weepie with less-than-full-blooded characters, Firebird is nonetheless earnest and well-produced. Plus, it’s refreshing to see some of these cliches rehashed on behalf of an unashamedly romantic gay narrative.

| May 4, 2022

The first half of the film is torn between being a forbidden romance and a Cold War action-cum-romance like Top Gun.

| Original Score: 2/4 | May 4, 2022

As a beautifully filmed love story set against a backdrop of Cold War military repression, the film seems to want to edge into erotic thriller territory, but there isn't quite enough sex nor nail-biting to earn the term.

| May 3, 2022

More romance and less thriller, Firebird is packed with brilliant performances, but the lack of audacious choices and the very normalization of queerness knocks this romance down just a peg.

| Original Score: B- | Apr 30, 2022

A delicate and ultimately powerfully moving true queer love story.

| Original Score: 3.5/5 | Apr 30, 2022

The premise promises great love. But like any great love, it has to be earned. Unfortunately, Firebird doesnt try to earn it.

| Original Score: 1.5/5 | Apr 30, 2022

The compelling, flawlessly acted film showcases confident direction by Rebane. This is his first feature. The movie tells its story with beautiful cinematography by Mait Maekivi.

| Apr 29, 2022

... most powerful in its intimate, character-driven moments. Yet the lack of broader historical context, combined with a reliance on narrative contrivances, mute the overall impact.

| Apr 29, 2022