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100 Best Quotes from Netflix’s Earthquake Bird

Delving into an individual’s path of confronting trauma and healing, Earthquake Bird (2019) is a Netflix original movie directed by Wash Westmoreland and produced by Ridley Scott, based on the novel, The Earthquake Bird by Susanna Jones. Following our protagonist, Lucy Fly, who is residing in Tokyo and working as a translator, Earthquake Bird explores what it means to face one’s inner demons that have been haunting one since a young age.

Through the perilous relationship between the characters, Lucy, Lily, and Teiji, Earthquake Bird brings their audience into its psychologically thrilling narrative.

Here’s the scoop on the best quotes from Earthquake Bird!

1. “Shouldn’t you ask for permission?” – Lucy

2. “I never ask.” – Teiji

3. “Why not?” – Lucy

4. “You lose the shot.” – Teiji

When Teiji photographs Lucy on the streets without her permission, this sparks conversation between the two, as Teiji explains his philosophy in photography.

5. “I don’t photograph people.” – Teiji

6. “What do you take pictures of then?” – Lucy

7. “Water. Buildings. Reflections. That kind of thing.” – Teiji

8. “But… you photographed me.” – Lucy

Teiji
Naoki Kobayashi as Teiji Cr. Murray Close

9. “My name is Teiji.” – Teiji

10. “Louisa Fly. But everyone calls me Lucy Fly.” – Lucy

Teiji and Lucy introduce themselves to each other after a fateful encounter in the streets.

11. “All day long, I watch people talk, saying all kinds of things without saying what they are really thinking. So… what are you really thinking?” – Teiji

12. “This is the strangest date I’ve ever been on if it’s even a date. I probably shouldn’t trust a stranger that I’ve just met, and I should probably leave.” – Lucy

13. “Why don’t you?” – Teiji

14. “Because I’m attracted to you. A little.” – Lucy

Lucy shows her attraction towards Teiji when Teiji dares her to tell him everything about what she is really thinking.

Lucy and Teiji earthquake bird
(left to right) Naoki Kobayashi as Teiji and Alicia Vikander as Lucy
Cr. Murray Close

15. “I want to photograph you. That is all I’m thinking.” – Teiji

When Lucy queries back, Teiji simply explains his want to photograph Lucy even more.

16. “Where do you want me to stand?” – Lucy

17. “Anywhere.” – Teiji

18. “What do you want me to do?” – Lucy

19. “Anything.” – Teiji

Lucy in earthquake bird
Alicia Vikander as Lucy Cr. Murray Close

20. “I’ve never had my pictures taken before. Not properly.” – Lucy

21. “Then I’m your first.” – Teiji

After their date at the noodle shop, the two head to Teiji’s secret place as Teiji resumes photographing Lucy.

22. “You hear that? Only after earthquakes… you hear it.” – Teiji

When a sudden earthquake interrupts their date, the two hide in Teiji’s cabinet. The two hear a soft whistling when the earthquake subsides.

23. “I mean, it’s been, like totally crazy. Like, everything is so different.” – Lily

24. “Yeah, I guess that’s why we’re all here.” – Lucy

Through her friend, Bob, Lucy meets Lily, an American newcomer in Tokyo.

25. “I’m going to kill you, Bob. We don’t have anything in common. I don’t wanna get stuck looking after her.” – Lucy

26. “Tokyo has tons of newcomers. If I took care of all of them, I wouldn’t have a life of my own.” – Lucy

Lily and Lucy
Riley Keough as Lily Cr. Murray Close

27. “Does he have a soy sauce face or a ketchup face? That’s the way we talk about whether a Japanese person looks Eastern or Western.” – Natsuko

28. “More soy, I suppose.” – Lucy

Lucy and Natsuko
(left to right) Kiki Sukezane as Natsuko and Alicia Vikander as Lucy
Cr. Murray Close

29. “Have you ever thought of getting married?” – Lucy

30. “No. Because of my job. You know, I’m a magistrate. It’s a little intimidating for most men. And besides, I’m too old now.” – Mrs. Kato

31. “You’re still young.” – Lucy

32. “Not in the eyes of Japanese men. Maybe I could get a widower. Or an old one with medical problems.” – Mrs. Kato

33. “But I don’t know how I’d find the time. I have my job, my friends, and the string quartet. It’s a lot to give up to wash some old man’s diapers.” – Mrs. Kato

women playing the violin
(from left to right) Akiko Iwase as Mrs. Kato, Yoshiko Sakuma as Mrs. Yamamoto, and Alicia Vikander as Lucy
Cr. Murray Close

34. “Death follows me. It always has.” – Lucy

35. “You will tell me, in time. And I will tell you things about me.” – Teiji

36. “The first time we saw each other, I knew we could be truthful. I knew it.” – Teiji

37. “We live in the atmosphere of death. But we are alive.” – Teiji

Lucy tells her recent incident of witnessing Mrs. Matsumoto’s death to Teiji. Telling her that he understands, Teiji tenderly listens to her and assures her to take her time to open up about her inner demons and he will too.

Mrs. Yamamoto in earthquake bird
Yoshiko Sakuma as Mrs. Yamamoto Cr. Murray Close

38. “It’s weird how everyone stares at you in Japan. It’s like being famous.” – Lily

39. “Yeah, some people get addicted to that.” – Lucy

40. “The light, the shadow, everything exactly right.” – Teiji

41. “I read once that when… the Westerners arrived in 19th century Japan, they wanted to photograph the locals, but… they wouldn’t let them. They thought it would steal their soul.” – Lucy

42. “I understand that. The subject always gives something, some part of themselves, to the photographer.” – Teiji

43. “If every time I took a photo it took a piece of your soul… would you still let me?” – Teiji

44. “I think you know the answer to that question.” – Lucy

There is a strong sense of connection and trust between Teiji and Lucy via Teiji’s love for photography and Lucy’s willingness to be photographed.

45. “Well, I guess we’re both a bit odd, but we fit well together.” – Lucy

46. “Sounds kinky.” – Bob

Bob jokingly comments on Lucy and Teiji, and their official relationship as a couple.

Bob at a bar
Jack Huston as Bob Cr. Murray Close

47. “When I found you, I stopped thinking of Sachi.” – Teiji

48. “I’m sorry. Please forget I ever did this.” – Lucy

49. “I shouldn’t have done that. It’s just that I think about you all the time, every moment.” – Lucy

50. “I wanted to know more about you.” – Lucy

51. “That’s not the way to find out. You must trust me.” – Teiji

When Lucy sneaks into Teiji’s place and attempts to open his secret cabinet of photographs, some of the photographs involve Teiji’s supposed ex-lover, Sachi. Teiji catches her red-handed, as Lucy apologizes for her lack of trust in him.

52. “I find it better not to call. I like being cut off. It’s great.” – Lucy

In a conversation about Lily losing touch with her hometown family and friends, Lucy dryly replies about her stance on families and keeping in touch.

lucy in Tokyo earthquake bird
Alicia Vikander as Lucy Cr. Murray Close

53. “Oh, my God. He’s so cute!” – Lily

54. “Cute? He’s not cute. Kittens are cute.” – Lucy

55. “I thought Japanese guys are supposed to be short.” – Lily

56. “That’s bullshit. That’s just a stereotype.” – Lucy

When Lily first meets Teiji, she makes highly ignorant remarks about Teiji, reflecting her identity as a white woman from America.

57. “What star sign are you?” – Lily

58. “I don’t believe in all of that.” – Lucy

59. “My personality is a combination of my genes, my upbringing, my parents, my school. Nothing to do with the stars.” – Lucy

60. “Hm… Taurus?” – Lily

Lucy and Lily earthquake bird
(left to right) Riley Keough as Lily and Alicia Vikander as Lucy
Cr. Murray Close

61. “In the past, there’s like a… emptiness or, like, a… silence. And then you have these three breaks in the line. There’s one early on, then another, and then a third.” – Lily

62. “What do they mean?” – Lucy

63. “Abrupt change. Accidents. Death.” – Lily

When reading Lucy’s palm, Lily reveals a bit of Lucy’s past and her relationship with tragedies in her life.

64. “It’s the earthquake bird. It’s what Teiji calls it. Always sings after an earthquake.” – Lucy

65. “When she’s interested in you, you’re the only one who exists. Then she moves on to someone else, and it’s like you were never even there.” – Bob

66. “Were you jealous?” – Teiji

67. “No, not at all. Why?” – Lucy

68. “I wanted you to be. You are my girlfriend, after all.” – Teiji

Teiji asks Lucy after their visit to the bar with Bob and Lily. Referring to the moment of Teiji dancing with Lily, Teiji asks if Lucy felt jealous.

Lucy and Teiji hugging in earthquake bird
(left to right) Naoki Kobayashi as Teiji and Alicia Vikander as Lucy and
Cr. Murray Close

69. “At least now you’re not around death every day.” – Lucy

70. “Well, I’d say that there were three times that I saved somebody’s life, so I like to think about that rather than… death.” – Lily

Lucy and Lily talk about Lily’s job as a nurse and her encounter with death multiple times.

Lucy, Lily, and Teiji earthquake bird
(left to right) Alicia Vikander as Lucy, Naoki Kobayashi as Teiji, and Riley Keough as Lily
Cr. Murray Close

71. “This is a traditional Japanese breakfast.” – Teiji

72. “I think I’d prefer some traditional Japanese cornflakes.” – Lily

During Teiji, Lucy, and Lily’s trip to Sado Island, Lily ignorantly disregards the traditional Japanese breakfast the hotel offers her, wanting cornflakes instead.

Lucy and Lily
(left to right) Riley Keough as Lily and Alicia Vikander as Lucy
Cr. Murray Close

73. “Yeah, maybe. Maybe we’re all just gonna blow away off the edge of the world.” – Lucy

74. “I know what I’m feeling. And what I’m feeling isn’t right. It’s not right at all.” – Lucy

When Lucy realizes that Lily and Teiji left her alone and went off to look at the mines in the area, she suspects something growing between Lily and Teiji. Upon confronting the two, she angrily storms away.

Lucy and Lily
(left to right) Riley Keough as Lily and Naoki Kobayashi as Teiji
Cr. Murray Close

75. “I really like you.” – Lucy

76. “My Lucy.” – Teiji

Teiji chases Lucy o help her calm down. He takes photographs of her and reassures her that she is the only one in his eyes.

77. “I did it. I killed Lily Bridges.” – Lucy

78. “All you need to know is I am guilty.” – Lucy

Lucy earthquake bird
Alicia Vikander as Lucy Cr. Murray Close

79. “I know you’re angry, and this isn’t an excuse, but maybe there’s a bigger reason for all of this that… that we don’t understand.” – Lily

80. “Well, did you see it in my palm? Did you dream it was meant to be?” – Lucy

81. “He was the only person who ever really saw who I was!” – Lucy

Lucy ignores Lily after their trip to Sado Island. He continuously takes pictures of Lily, not Lucy. Lily apologizes for her actions and pleads to Lucy to let her in in front of her house, which Lily coldly glares at.

82. “I’m sorry! But can I please come in? I feel like something really bad is gonna happen.” – Lily

83. “It already has.” – Lucy

Despite Lily’s plea, Lucy closes her front door.

Lucy and Lily in earthquake bird
Riley Keough as Lily Cr. Murray Close

84. “Did you murder Lily Bridges?” – Oguchi

85. “No.” – Lucy 

86. “Then why did you say you did?” – Oguchi

87. “Because I wanted to kill her.” – Lucy

88. “At this point, we are reclassifying this as a missing person case.” – Detective Kameyama

89. “I think I may have preferred it when she was dead.” – Lucy

Contrary to Lucy’s confession to killing Lily, the reality was that Lucy didn’t. Though her animosity towards Lily is more than evident.

90. “Well… we all live in our own reality. Maybe, in some way, you thought you did kill Lily Bridges. But I never felt so. You have guilt, but it is from a deeper source.” – Detective Kameyama

Lucy and Lily earthquake bird
(left to right) Riley Keough as Lily and Alicia Vikander as Lucy
Cr. Murray Close

91. “The nurse said to me, ‘It’s not your fault.’ I didn’t know what she meant. So I just said… ‘Okay. Yeah.’” – Lucy

92. “It’s easy to ignore people when they are silent. So that’s what my family did.” – Lucy

Lucy reveals her past of accidentally murdering one of her brothers. Though she was told that it wasn’t her fault that her brother was killed, it transformed into a deep trauma inside her.

93. “Hello Lucy.” – Teiji

94. “Come with me. Please. You must.” – Teiji

95. “It’s over.” – Lucy

Teiji
Naoki Kobayashi as Teiji Cr. Murray Close

96. “Don’t mourn him.” – Mrs. Kato

97. “She came to my… door that night, Lily. She asked me if she could come in. I didn’t let her in.” – Lucy

98. “No. It wasn’t your fault.” – Mrs. Karo

99. “It was. Believe me. It was.” – Lucy

100. “Perhaps. But… perhaps in a way… she saved your life.” – Mrs. Kato

Mrs. Kato assuaged Lucy’s guilt, saying that it wasn’t her fault, that Lily saved her life.

Hope you enjoyed these quotes from Earthquake Bird on Netflix!

For the scoop on other articles on Netflix movies, check out:

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