Scarlett Johansson’s New Blade Runner-Like Movie Gets Glowing Review From Guillermo Del Toro

Published Oct 14, 2026, 9:58 PM EDT

Matthew Rudoy is one of ScreenRant's Movie & TV News Editors. He covers the latest in movie & TV news, with a focus on major franchises like Star Wars, The Boys, and Game of Thrones, and also writes some features and reviews. He wrote lists for ScreenRant from 2017-2022, became a news writer in 2023, a senior staff writer in 2024, and an editor in 2025. 

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Guillermo del Toro gives the ultimate praise to Scarlett Johansson's new movie Ray Gunn.

The animated Netflix science-fiction film features Johansson in the role of Venus Nova, a pop star who becomes a suspect in a murder case set in the retro-futuristic city of Metropia. With private eye Raymond Gunn (Sam Rockwell) on the case and the story heavily steeped in the noir genre, director and writer Brad Bird has compared Ray Gunn to Blade Runner, and the trailer even features shots of flying cars in Metropia that are reminiscent of Ridley Scott's 1982 classic.

On X, del Toro shared a glowing and lengthy review for Ray Gunn after having the opportunity to see an early theatrical screening. He hails the movie as an unparalleled work of animation, compares the cinematography to the likes of Blade Runner and Chinatown, praises Rockwell and Johansson's performances, Bird's direction and writing, and Michael Giacchino's score. Check out del Toro's review below:

RAY GUNN by Brad Bird is a marvel to behold and a great ride to experience. It is also a 100% blast in a theatrical environment. It must be made available to be experienced collectively. It is wise and wholesome but also real and spectacular. Delicate and thrilling and erudite and popular. Brad Bird is, in my opinion, in the Western hemisphere, the most talented animation director at staging, not only action- at which he is a master- but purely cinematic moments of character revelation and connection.

The film is a blend of brightly-colored Noir and Moebius urban landscapes (Ala INCAL) and Blade Runner and the eyebrows of Nicholson in Chinatown and Lorre and Greenstreet and an Art Deco spectacle. It is also, like all of Brad's films, a movie with a tender heart. No cynicism, no post-modern distancing, just the love of a cinephile, the eye of a master and the heart of a good human being, fueling some of the world's greatest animators, designers and technicians ever... Ben Burtt's sound design, for example is an absolute blast and Tom Waits will steal your heart with his delicate and nuanced work as the "Miles Archer" of the tale (...)

Sam Rockwell and Scarlett Johanssen are both superb and her singing voice is remarkable, but the virtuoso and inspired work of Brad Bird is what elevated the thrills and the delicate moments. There are two close ups in a small scene inside a parked car that are amongst the most remarkable, minimalistic, micro-gesture driven close ups in all digital animation. It playing in 70mm screens makes it magical. I can only feel joy seeing Brad return to the medium. Matthew Robbins and him have been nursing this screenplay for around 15 years? 20 years? And they had good reason to keep that faith. I first met Brad in his offices in Glendale, when he was working on THE IRON GIANT. And he was already talking about this film. Which I believe was at Turner Films back then- maybe I misremember. (...)

The attention to detail and the endless inventiveness are celebrations of what the human eye, the human heart and teh human hand and crafts can do. Its great to see animated movies carrying this banner for the medium and the arts. See it first chance you get. It's one for the ages...

Oh, and that damn score! I need it in CD (I'm old) as soon as possible... Michael Giacchino does it again.

With a "Certified Fresh" 93% critics' score on Rotten Tomatoes based on 45 reviews, the reception for Ray Gunn has been overwhelmingly positive so far. In ScreenRant's Ray Gunn review, Ben Gibbons gave the movie six out of 10 stars after seeing it at the London Film Festival, writing that it is "one of the better animated projects from Netflix and builds a fascinating world, with deeply thought-provoking themes and intriguing characters."

Del Toro's praise goes to another level with his high praise for Bird and the many favorable comparisons to some of the greatest movies of all time, including in the noir genre. Earlier this year, he used his platform to bring more attention to Apple TV's Widow's Bay, which went on to win a record-breaking 14 Emmy Awards, and now he is using it again to uplift and create more awareness for Netflix's sci-fi movie.

While it is a Netflix production, Ray Gunn will have a theatrical release in select theaters and 70mm screens beginning on December 4 before it begins streaming on December 18. Del Toro emphasizes how the theatrical experience, specifically in 70mm, further elevates the film, but the limited release structure means that the majority of audiences will not have the opportunity to experience it this way. That being said, the Pan's Labyrinth filmmaker makes a strong case for seeing the movie in theaters if possible, including his emphasis on how it was made for a collective viewing experience.

As del Toro mentions in his review, Bird and co-writer Matthew Robbins had the idea and script written for Ray Gunn long ago. It actually originated in the 1990s, years before Bird made the Pixar movies The Incredibles, Ratatouille, and Incredibles 2. He had a difficult time finding a studio willing to take a chance on the ambitious film, but finally found a match with Netflix.

In addition to Rockwell and Johansson, another Ray Gunn actor highlighted in del Toro's review is Tom Waits, who plays the titular character's alien detective partner, Eyera, and who the Frankenstein director likens to The Maltese Falcon's Miles Archer. The cast also features Alan Tudyk, Matt Berry, Bobby Cannavale, Michael Chernus, Kether Donohue, Michelle Rodriguez, Aasif Mandvi, Matt Jones, Kathryn Hunter, John Ratzenberger, Justin Peck, and Patton Oswalt.

Ray Gunn releases in select theaters on December 4 and comes to Netflix on December 18.

Cast

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  Sam Rockwell

  Raymond Gunn (voice)

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  Venus Nova (voice)

Ray Gunn is a 2026 animated neo-noir science-fiction mystery directed by Brad Bird, set in Metropia, a retro-futuristic city where humans and aliens coexist. Private detective Raymond Gunn is drawn into a murder case involving aliens and famous multimedia star Venus Nova, pulling him into a larger mystery.