Ray Gunn Review: Brad Bird's Futuristic Noir Mystery Gets Lost On The Way To A Moral Message

Ray Gunn explores a fascinating alternate future, but despite the incredible talent and animation, the story ultimately falls short of its potential.

Published Oct 10, 2026, 9:45 AM EDT

Ben is a Senior Writer on the New TV team at Screen Rant. He graduated from the University of Central Lancashire with a First Class B.A. Degree in English Literature and History.

Born and raised in Ireland, Ben has always had a love for storytelling in all forms of media and operates multiple projects under the name Benjamin Blogs. Ben is a comic book writer and podcast host, in addition to his work as an entertainment journalist. He has worked as both a writer and editor for Screen Rant, Collider, and other media outlets across various departments, including features, news, reviews, and interviews.

Ray Gunn is a daring animated feature film set in an alternate future riddled with corruption and division, but private investigator Ray's strict moral code sees him follow a different path. Sam Rockwell stars as the titular washed-up hero, who finds himself being pitied by all those more willing to cheat, steal, and fight their way to the top. He is joined by Scarlett Johansson, who plays a music superstar by the name of Venus Nova.

The film's futuristic setting features a distinctly noir tone, with advanced tech and the presence of aliens standing in contrast to the gritty criminal underbelly of Metropia. It also leans into themes of discrimination, segregation, and judgment, as it's evident from the opening moments that aliens are not given the same level of respect or care by the broad human community, which establishes a deeper moral lesson in the story.

Ray Gunn's Animation Is A Beautiful Evolution Of Brad Bird's Style

Brad Bird is a veteran storyteller whose lengthy career saw him become one of the most prominent storytellers at Pixar. With films like The Incredibles, its sequel, and Ratatouille all proving his skill as both a writer and director in the animated space, it makes sense that he has taken all of that experience and invested it into this new venture in collaboration with Skydance Animation and Netflix.

As much as Ray Gunn attempts to deliver a meaty story that feels like a step up from Bird's previous work, there is a distinct sense of missing Pixar magic.

The animation style is very similar to The Incredibles, though it feels more rounded and 3D, with additional creativity involved in designing a whole host of aliens. I have to say, Bird's style remains one of my absolute favorites in animation. It perfectly balances realism with cartoonishness in a way that's just pleasing, and makes every character enchanting.

On the other hand, the score from repeat collaborator Michael Giacchino feels a little too similar to his work in The Incredibles, which is disappointing. Considering how different the two stories are, Ray Gunn deserves to have a totally unique soundscape. It's more mature, darker, and addresses bold subjects such as honesty, corruption, and selling out. Some of the music tracks, however, do land well, adding a fun layer to the story, showcasing Scarlett Johansson's vocals and songwriting from Kimbra.

Ray Gunn Is A Film Of Highs And Lows

As much as Ray Gunn attempts to deliver a meaty story that feels like a step up from Bird's previous work, there is a distinct sense of missing Pixar magic. Twists rarely land in the way that they are intended until the final act, and even still, that doesn't always feel earned. In other moments, the twists only serve to weaken the overall competence of characters like Ray, and undermine the story.

There is fun to be had, and the voice performances from the entire cast are among the strongest elements of Ray Gunn. Sam Rockwell does a tremendous job of creating a rich personality for his conflicted hero; Scarlett Johansson clearly had fun with her role and explores a wide range in the process; Tom Waits is excellent as Eye-Ra; and Alan Tudyk also deserves a shoutout for his continued spectacular voice work.

Ray Gunn builds a fascinating world, with deeply thought-provoking themes and intriguing characters.

Ray Gunn is certainly one of the better animated projects from Netflix, and it makes sense with the incredible talent involved. However, it's just missing an additional spark to take it over the edge and help the message land. There's a serious effort to convey important ideas, but occasionally, the movie fails to effectively tie them all together.

In the end, Ray Gunn builds a fascinating world, with deeply thought-provoking themes and intriguing characters. Despite this, the film does not rise to the heights that it could have, in part because of poorly developed twists, and in part because of the heavy-handed nature of the messaging that ultimately dilutes its value. I hoped for more from Ray Gunn, and ultimately, it felt like there was more potential than what ended up on screen.

Ray Gunn premiered at the 2026 London Film Festival. The film releases in limited US theaters on December 4, and will be available to stream on Netflix from December 18.