Review #1228: Brightburn.
Cast:
Elizabeth Banks (Tori Breyer), David Denman (Kyle Breyer), Jackson A. Dunn (Brandon Breyer), Abraham Clinkscales (Royce), Christian Finlayson (Fauxhawk), Jennifer Holland (Ms. Espenschied), Emmie Hunter (Caitlyn), Matt Jones (Noah McNichol), Meredith Hagner (Merilee McNichol), Becky Wahlstrom (Erica), Terence Rosemore (P.E. Teacher), and Gregory Alan Williams (Sheriff Deever) Directed by David Yarovesky.
Review:
Perhaps there was an interesting idea behind a twisted take on the Superman origin story present in the original pitch. It isn't the first time someone has made a what-if story involving a twist on the Superman mythos, with the easiest one I can think of being Mark Millar's comic mini-series Superman: Red Son (2003), which presented what would occur if Superman had been raised in the Soviet Union instead of Smallville. I suppose in a decade where we've had a film adaptation of Superman in Man of Steel (2013) that aimed for a gritty take on the hero, why not have a gritty take on the origin of an alien landing in a Kansas town too. Produced by James Gunn with a story from his cousin Mark and brother Brian Gunn, Brightburn is a film lacking in tension that finds itself hamstrung by not going further with its premise and being an overall ridiculous horror film. It comes at no surprise that this runs at 90 minutes, since it never seems to truly take off for real terror until the very end, by which at that point I'm trying to restrain giggles. Ideally, this shouldn't happen in a film that basically turns a 12-year old Superman into a serial killer, complete with a calling card. The fact that it is a film with a small cast headlined by Banks, Dunn, and other actors mostly known for television work that can't really make this material seem more alive; everything seems too closed in, too much like I am watching something made for a film school project or something to binge on a streaming service late one night. It is a film where all of its beats and paths seem drawn out before it even gets to an hour, having a lack of tension because it never really seems in doubt that this kid will just grow up to be a monster - made especially weirder by drawing out when the parents try to start figuring it out (no points for who figures it out last). It only seems vibrant when it shows the kid going kooky with his power, such as him flat out lasering someone in the eyes after someone tries to "Old Yeller" him. I do find that Dunn does well with this material when faced with being a creep more than when he is trying to act like an actual kid - basically I can't help but wait for the psychopath moments, such as him not attempting to have any sort of sympathy when he hears news about someone passing away (what with him dropping that same guy and his truck from the air three minutes earlier). Banks and Denman do what they can as the parents, showing some compassion and vulnerability that works mildly when compared with their freak-of-alien nature offspring; they can't really save this film from bordering on self-parody, but at least they don't inspire too many eye-rolls. Really the film needs someone to just chew the scenery a bit, or at least have some presence beyond these three, with characters just appearing and disappearing without much time (especially apparent with Hunter) to grow. Maybe this needed an older Breyer to make this conflict actually seem more developed, or a bit more budget and time to really make this seem like it really does belong on a big screen. I can't fault the premise so much as I just fault a film that can't quite rise to great lengths with horror, only inspiring snickers and mild bemusement, an average little film that will only stand out from the crowd if you know where to look and what to expect.
Overall, I give it 6 out of 10 stars.
