Marvel and Disney movies repeatedly present reliable narratives that clearly tell audiences what they should take away from a story. They go from beginning to end, asking questions and always giving answers — a comfort to moviegoers who just want to be entertained. When films like Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) leave viewers wondering about what its ending truly means, the lack of explanation often results in passionate, years-long debate.

Acclaimed director Alejandro González Iñárritu, best known for The Revenant and Babel, didn't hold back while developing this Oscar-winning dark comedy. With Beetlejuice's Michael Keaton in the titular role, the rest of the film's cast is equally stacked, including Emma Stone, Edward Norton, Naomi Watts, Andrea Riseborough, and Zach Galifianakis.

The story instantly yanks audiences into the erratic world of Riggan Thomson, a washed-up actor haunted by his blockbuster-superhero past: a character named Birdman. While leading up to his Broadway debut,...