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Brightburn is one of those few movies throughout the year that can grab everyone’s attention solely due to its premise. In a world where the superhero genre is oversaturated with almost a comic-book-based film each month, the Gunn family delivers an unique concept that I don’t think it was ever explored this way. “What if Superman was evil?” is an idea that can be developed through so many different ways, depending on the director and screenwriters’ approach. David Yarovesky clearly drew inspiration from Zack Snyder’s version (Man of Steel), and that’s where the movie is best: in exploring the vast and interesting possibilities that a screenplay like this can pursue.
Usually, when someone writes something along the lines of “it felt like two movies”, it’s not a good sign. Brightburn is a dark, mysterious and suspenseful film during the first half, but then it pretty much transforms itself into a horror-slasher flick, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. I firmly believe that no audience member (and I would even dare write critics as well) will leave the theater completely satisfied or entirely disappointed. If you expected the Gunn family to delve deep into Superman’s mythology and explore some twisty paths, they do rely on classic scenes to show how it all could have been if “Clark Kent” wasn’t a nice boy.
If you were expecting a movie closer to the horror genre, the last half of the film offers some good sequences. However, that’s when the movie loses what made me go watch it in the first place. It’s a very short film and it ends in a way that leaves me wanting more. The big problem here is that it’s likely not going to get a sequel, and it could have easily added extra 20-30 minutes to deliver a more fulfilled story.
Production-wise, having in mind its low budget, it looks remarkably great. Some good moments of gorgeous cinematography, and beautiful wide shots. The jump scare sequences of the second half aren’t nearly as effective as they could be, but at least the editing throughout the entire runtime is seamless. With a few more creative and entertaining scenes, Brightburn could have been a lot more menacing and scarier. I only remembered it was R-rated once the first bloody and quite violent moment occurs, and these specific moments are definitely eye-opening, gruesome and horrifying, even though it gets too over-the-top a couple of times.
Elizabeth Banks (Tori Breyer) delivers a notable performance, as well as David Denman (Kyle Breyer). Their characters have a compelling backstory, and they actually have a well-developed script. They don’t make dumb or irrational decisions, like the generic horror characters that we all recognize. Jackson A. Dunn (Brandon) is pretty good as the evil Superman, even if his performance ends up being too monotonous for me. Looking at the overall feedback from both critics and audience, this seems to be part of those rare films each year which I enjoy a bit more than most people.
All in all, Brightburn doesn’t take off powerfully like Superman, but it’s still able to fly for a bit. With good performances, remarkable production design, and an adequate use of its R-rating, the Gunn family delivers an incredibly captivating concept which is explored through an interesting yet unfulfilling screenplay. The second half turns the movie into a pure slasher flick, which might positively affect some viewers, but for me it took away what was really entertaining. The ending is just a taste of what the film could have been and it’s disappointing that it doesn’t explore its fantastic idea more in-depth, but the final feeling about the movie isn’t too bad either.
Rating: B
