Brightburn

Director- David Yarovesky

Brandon Breyer- Jackson A. Dunn

Tori Breyer- Elizabeth Banks

Kyle Breyer- David Denman

Caitlyn- Emmie Hunter

Merilee McNichol- Meredith Hagner

Noah McNichol- Matt Hones

“Brightburn”, written by Mark and Bryan Gunn and produced by James Gunn of Marvel’s “Guardians of the Galaxy” and DC’s upcoming “The Suicide Squad”, is a triumphant combination of horror and comic book villainy. While its story borrows heavily from the thematic elements from the story of Superman, it brings its own dark and horrifying twist. What if Superman wasn’t so friendly? What if, as a 12 year old boy, he decided he didn’t really want to blend in? That he wanted to rule the world? These are questions answered by “Brightburn”.

Taking place in Brightburn, Kansas (yes, I know, much like Smallville, Kansas), the film finds couple Kyle and Tori Breyer (Denman and Banks) taking in a baby that crash landed on their farm in a ship from space. This child (Dunn) starts life as an ordinary kid. That soon takes a dark turn as he gets a taste for violence and power. Jackson A. Dunn is quite honestly superb in his role, balancing an absolutely unnerving narrative and momentary childish innocence. Dunn’s cold and calculated moments were unsettling, and when he let loose in a scene, it kept me very much engaged. The fury within that boy’s performance was exceptional.

Denman and Banks portray concerned parents that, for the majority of the movie, I genuinely cared for. It seemed, though, that Denman’s Kyle Breyer was the only one thinking very hard about their situation. He desperately sought a solution while Tori simply defended Brandon and even covered for him. There comes a point where you reach the threshold of stupidity when defending someone you know can (and has) throw you across the room. The performances all around were stellar, but I have to say some of them were written to be a bit too naive.

Now, let’s talk about the horror aspect of this. A lot of the film consisted of easily foreseen and cheap jump scares and a few instances of genuinely gratuitous gore (which I thought was rather well executed), but I feel it’s horror spin was best spotlighted in its tension and buildup. This seems to be a common issue with recent thrillers and horror movies. Please, Hollywood, swap the jump scares for genuine tension. It also gives your actors a far better chance to shine.

All in all, “Brightburn” was an excellent character narrative and fun “unintentional” twist on the story of Kal-El, but it most certainly could’ve been better executed. The potential was through the roof, but in action it only really came within about a foot of said roof.

Rating: 7.5/10