In a bold, genre-bending move, "Birdman or" (2014) throws audiences into the midst of a maelstrom as its protagonist, Riggan Thomson, struggles to revive his flagging career by staging a Broadway production of Raymond Carver's "What We Talk About When We Talk About Love". As opening night approaches, the actor's attempts at redemption are thwarted at every turn by the sinister voice of his past self, the mercurial method actor Mike Shiner, and the disconnection from his family. The film is a darkly comedic exploration of the fragility of ego, identity, and the blurred lines between reality and fantasy, set against the frenetic backdrop of New York City's theater scene.