Love them or hate them, superhero movies are more popular than ever and seem to not be losing any steam. Of course, with the current flood of superhero movies, certain audiences are experiencing superhero fatigue and getting tired of them. Around the time the Marvel Cinematic Universe was starting up, Saint Louis native James Gunn brought us his superhero take. 2010’s Super, about a vigilante who goes after a crime boss after taking his wife, was a much darker take. While not as popular as Kick-Ass released the same year, the movie still maintained a cult following to this day. Given the dark material, as well as his work with Troma, it’s surprising Gunn got to work with Marvel/Disney. While making Guardians of the Galaxy movies, Gunn also produced movies like The Belko Experiment based on an earlier script. Now, he’s producing Brightburn, written by his cousin and brother.
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In the small town of Brightburn, Kyle and Tori Breyer (David Denman and Elizabeth Banks) are trying to have children. One night, a meteor crashes near their farm, and they find a baby boy inside and decide to adopt him. Twelve years later, their son Brandon (Jackson Dunn) begins to show signs of strange powers and develops a stubborn attitude. The parents notice Brandon doing strange things like chewing a fork, sleepwalking to the barn, and scaring the chickens. Soon, things get worse after he accidentally breaks the hand of classmate Caitlyn (Emmie Hunter), resulting in a two-day suspension. One night, Brandon finds the spacecraft that brought him to Earth and learns his true purpose, chanting “take the world.” Before long, people end up missing or dead, namely Caitlyn’s mom Erica (Becky Wahlstrom) and Brandon’s Uncle Noah (Matt Jones). Will Brandon be stopped or will his reign of terror intensify?
Looking at the basic premise of the film, there’s plenty of similarities between this and the origin story of Superman. However, whereas Superman came to be a hero, Brandon has come to cause mass destruction and go on a rampage. Admittedly, Brightburn doesn’t go very far with this concept, as there’s plenty of potential for something more and thought-provoking. While a disappointment, this still delivers a fairly entertaining experience for horror fans and an interesting twist on superhero movies. David Denman and Elizabeth Banks help to propel this film thanks to their strong performances, giving it their full commitment. Banks really comes across as someone who wants to be a loving mother despite what her son has done. Conversely, Denman is believable as the skeptic who realizes the threat Brandon poses and tries being the voice of reason. Their dynamic helps to add a lot to the material.
Jackson Dunn honestly isn’t terrible here, acting especially creepy when he starts acting up and going on a rampage. The rest of the cast, though not memorable, still do their jobs fairly well and don’t drag the movie down. The movie definitely delivers is in shocks and gore, highlights including glass in someone’s eye and someone’s jaw getting snapped. The climax of the film has similar suspense and gruesome gore, so fans of that should be satisfied. In all honesty, while Brightburn isn’t terrible, it’s more of a rental or $5 movie than paying full theatre price. My biggest issue with this is that there’s an interesting concept worth exploring, but not much is done with it. It’s still worth it for the performances and the big set pieces, but don’t expect much else going in. Overall, Brightburn is a fun if disposable shocker you might find some enjoyment with.
