The Birds (2026): Cast, Story and Release Details

Prepared by Movies Dock Editorial

The Birds follows a teacher who witnesses students die from a school rooftop and finds her daughter connected to the scene. When the deaths continue and a cryptic explanation points to a bird in the sky, she joins a reporter and birding streamer to investigate.

The Birds is a South Korean mystery that brings science fiction and fantasy into a troubling investigation. The story begins with a teacher witnessing students fall from the rooftop of the school where she works, then grows stranger when her daughter is linked to the incident.

Directed and written by Sohn Hyun-lok, the film centers on Yeok’s search for an explanation as similar deaths continue. Her investigation takes her beyond the school and toward the habitat of the birds at the center of the mystery.

The Birds movie details

Story without spoilers

Yeok is a middle-aged teacher raising her son and daughter alone. After seeing students fall to their deaths from her school’s rooftop, she learns that her daughter, Hyejeong, was also present. When Yeok asks what happened, Hyejeong offers only one repeated statement: “There was a bird in the sky.”

As more unexplained deaths occur, Yeok works with a reporter covering the case and a streamer who operates a birding channel. Together, they head toward the birds’ habitat, hoping to understand the connection between the strange sightings and the growing number of deaths.

What to expect

The film combines mystery, science fiction and fantasy around an unsettling unexplained phenomenon. Its premise places family concern, a school tragedy and an investigation into unusual bird-related clues at the center of the story. The 2-hour-19-minute runtime allows the mystery to unfold through Yeok’s efforts to find answers, though the supplied information does not reveal how the case is resolved.

Cast and creative team

Kang Kyung-hun leads the cast as Yeok, with Sim Su-bin playing Hyejeong. Lee Na-ra, Ryu Kyung-soo, Jung Hee-tae and Lee Hyo-je also appear. Sohn Hyun-lok is credited as both director and writer.

• Kang Kyung-hun as Yeok
• Sim Su-bin as Hyejeong
• Lee Na-ra
• Ryu Kyung-soo
• Jung Hee-tae
• Lee Hyo-je

Release and production context

The Birds is a 2026 film from South Korea, with Korean as its spoken language. It has a runtime of 2 hours and 19 minutes and is listed as released on October 10, 2026. The production company is Korea National University of Arts.

Production companies: Korea National University of Arts

Movies Dock view

With its combination of an unexplained school tragedy, a family seeking answers and an investigation focused on birds, The Birds is positioned as a mystery with science-fiction and fantasy elements. The film’s premise keeps the central phenomenon deliberately difficult to explain without revealing its outcome.

Film data:
TMDB