1,357 reviews
Interesting concept hurt by poor execution
This felt like a stripped down, summarized version of this story. No time is really invested into characters, so you don't really feel anything for them. The concept, while fascinating, is never fully explored. The actors all do their best though and are solid throughout. The film is also surprisingly gore-filled and there were some genuinely queasy moments. Everything just chugs along at a breakneck pace and it plays out as you'd expect. There was an opportunity to take a lot of chances with this story, but it decides to settle for being a mildly entertaining flick.
A good take
I must admit, I wasn't sure at first what to take from the trailer when I originally watched it, but I must admit the result was pleasantly surprising. As with any film, and any review, everything gets a mixed bag, some will expect more story, but this isn't a story you need more to explain, everyone knows the idea of an alien coming to earth, much like good old Superman, based on that concept alone you role with what bits of information you are given, much like the bee story, a hive, now with no spoiling any of the content, like with everything I'd say check the film out for yourself, form your own view, but don't expect a back story, as this film focus is on the what if. As always it's good to see good reviews and bad, always like to see how people take things home. Now I hope this helps, but with every review it is an opinion. Take care. And be forever watchful of those skies.
Wasted potential
- andrewmerritt-31652
- Dec 7, 2019
- Permalink
don't believe the tagline
Tagline was suggesting it would be an interesting take on the reversal of superman premise. But instead of exploring why and what makes someone a hero or an evildoer, that was completely overridden and it became just a horror movie with gore elements, with "evil superman" being just a wallpaper theme. It's not a bad horror, mind you, but for me it felt like a very interesting opportunity was lost here.
What I dislike most about this movie is how much better it could have been.
There's not much else to say. The concept of this movie is very interesting. Unfortunately, the acting and the story leave much to be desired. I really wanted to like this movie more because the plot descriptions are so cool.
I wish they had put more effort into this movie. It could have been great.
I wish they had put more effort into this movie. It could have been great.
- mraiche1980
- Mar 27, 2022
- Permalink
It really is basically "what if Superman was evil?"
There have been a few "evil superhero" themed stories recently but both The Boys and Invincible are more polished in my opinion. Maybe they benefit from having multiple episodes and being able to explore all the questions that come with the topic more in-depth. Because along with poor CGI (but you get what you pay for) the relative superficiality of the movie is its biggest let down. Also the writing was just ok, taking too many lazy shortcuts, and the horror/gory parts just felt like thrown on here and there completely free and without really bringing anything interesting. Overall still enjoyable.
What if Superman were a sociopath
Tori and Kyle Breyer are a young couple living in Brightburn, a small town in Kansas. They long for a child but are unable to conceive. Then one night a craft crashes in the woods; in it Tori finds a baby boy. They see it as a gift, name him Brandon and raise him as their adopted son. He seems fairly normal apart from being exceptionally intelligent; then, as he reaches puberty he starts to change. He gradually becomes much stronger and develops superpowers; powers which he tries to hide from his parents. Occasionally they become obvious and anybody who crosses him or discovers his secret is in real danger... and if he isn't stopped the rest of the world might be too.
This film is a fun mix of a superhero and horror genres. It starts at a fairly gentle pace but once it becomes apparent that Brandon isn't like other children the horror elements kick in. There aren't a lot of deaths but those that there are, are surprisingly gory. The idea of having somebody with superpowers who has no intention of helping anybody, has zero concern for others and a willingness to kill makes a nice change from those films centred on all the do-gooding superheroes. The way Brandon discovered his powers and quickly started to abuse them was handled well enough although it might have been good to have a couple of off screen incidents before showing us his darker side so it wasn't obvious he was bad so soon... that is a minor quibble though. The special effects are pretty good; making the gory scenes disturbingly impressive. The actors do a fine job bringing their characters to life. Overall I'd recommend this to fans of horror and superheroes... it could almost be an origin story for a new character in TV series 'The Boys'.
This film is a fun mix of a superhero and horror genres. It starts at a fairly gentle pace but once it becomes apparent that Brandon isn't like other children the horror elements kick in. There aren't a lot of deaths but those that there are, are surprisingly gory. The idea of having somebody with superpowers who has no intention of helping anybody, has zero concern for others and a willingness to kill makes a nice change from those films centred on all the do-gooding superheroes. The way Brandon discovered his powers and quickly started to abuse them was handled well enough although it might have been good to have a couple of off screen incidents before showing us his darker side so it wasn't obvious he was bad so soon... that is a minor quibble though. The special effects are pretty good; making the gory scenes disturbingly impressive. The actors do a fine job bringing their characters to life. Overall I'd recommend this to fans of horror and superheroes... it could almost be an origin story for a new character in TV series 'The Boys'.
Wasted potential
- deandsouza15892
- May 24, 2019
- Permalink
This could have been a gamechanger in the Superhero Genre...
What would happen to the world if Superman was evil ? This film tries to explore this intriguing concept with mediocre outcome. They were able to provide some really chilling & gory scenes to project the horror, but lack of character development and a weak script, made me disengage from the film. Hopefully there may be other films which will try to explore the dark side of Superhero genre successfully, like Joker did.
- saikatsamanta
- May 24, 2020
- Permalink
Had potential. But, ultimately was squandered.
Where's The Sequel?!
LOVED this film. It felt like a set up for a sequel at the end. If not, there should be one anyway.
Bright Idea
Not a bad film at all. Kept me interested and watching. The stunts and the gore were fabulous. The acting was great. The kid was very good in it. Decent atmosphere and music to go with it. Paves the way to another film should they do wish too. Entertaining.
- stevenrobertson-97899
- May 11, 2021
- Permalink
Mean-spirited violence with no story . . .
- steve-09684
- Jun 1, 2019
- Permalink
Terrific due to the child lead
Everything good in this movie is down to the acting ability and character of the child actor (Jackson A. Dunne who plays the character Brandon/Brightburn and the likeability of Elizabeth Banks who plays his mother. Its a really well made movie and just very absorbing. Very very good movie and great special effects. Terrific.
- bazookamouth-221-898097
- May 15, 2021
- Permalink
A nice change
Brightburn answers the age old question of what if superman wasn't the hero. This sci-fi horror really is terrific with its ideas. Although it doesn't sound like the most original idea, brightburn really is a breath of fresh air to the genre and I really enjoyed it. The movie is just an easy watch, it's not too long and doesn't dwell on the back story or explaining of why the kid is on earth or anything like that, it just gets on with the story and I really appreciate it for that. The performances in this really are brilliant aswell, Elizabeth Banks is amazing in her role and truly puts in a great performance here, Jackson Dunn is also great as the main antagonist, he's not really been in many films so I was pleasantly surprised with how good he was in this role. The kills are brutal and really through me off when they turned out so gory and graphic as I was just expecting generic boring superhero kills. James Gunn really has done it again with his interesting directing and captivating plots. The cinematography is amazing too in this film and really is great to watch. The only thing that lets this movie down for me is that it could have been way bigger scale. Yes I like that it isn't too over the top with its plot but I just think it lacks that something that would take it to the next level, some of the scares are boring and predictable and I just think this film would have worked better not being a horror and just being a thriller style supervillain film. I would definitely like to see more like this in the future and would 100% be tuning in if there is a sequel. A refreshing film, give me more!
- alexscott-35299
- May 27, 2021
- Permalink
Good Thriller/Horror Movie.
I think, some of the less enthusiastic reviews, come from an angle of expecting something deep in the superhero world, but! This film isn't that; it's far from it.
This film is a horror movie and as such it's good.
If only they had laid on thicker with a theme relating to internal conflict, the human spirit vs an, other, evil? Something like that to give the story more gravitas. As such it's a bit one dimensional. However! It's a good popcorn shovelling horror.
It's probably a 6.5 but I gave it a 7. It's above average.
A sequel would be interesting. I'd watch it. There is plenty of scope to work with.
This film is a horror movie and as such it's good.
If only they had laid on thicker with a theme relating to internal conflict, the human spirit vs an, other, evil? Something like that to give the story more gravitas. As such it's a bit one dimensional. However! It's a good popcorn shovelling horror.
It's probably a 6.5 but I gave it a 7. It's above average.
A sequel would be interesting. I'd watch it. There is plenty of scope to work with.
Amazing concept falls short
This film has so much promise, it just lacks a special kind of substance. I had rather high hopes for it but it just lacked a killer blow. Maybe they're saving something bigger for a sequel. The biggest moments they saved as a sizzle reel during the credits? I guess they ran out of budget or something. The horror elements were cool, the kid was actually pretty decent. Just wanted more.
- goodriddance_92
- Jun 23, 2019
- Permalink
Kind of shows us truth about special human / creature
We always assume, super human (who has special powers) will do good to the society. In fact, we have put them in a higher position and think, any super human will save us , of course in dreams, I mean. But, we desire one or another time.
However,in this movie, it shows us how destructive super powers can be. They can be always good. So,I kind of liked it for showing us the truth. But, ending could be better, it's really disappointing.
However,in this movie, it shows us how destructive super powers can be. They can be always good. So,I kind of liked it for showing us the truth. But, ending could be better, it's really disappointing.
A distant cousin of Clark Kent
- FrenchEddieFelson
- Aug 14, 2019
- Permalink
Bleak and Pessimist
- claudio_carvalho
- Aug 11, 2019
- Permalink
One timer
I just hope there's a sequel
I almost didn't give this a shot. Have been considering watching the modern "Firestarter" movie. A reviewer on another site suggested that Brightburn was better. I don't watch trailers, as they tend to destroy movies (for me). I prefer a brief description, and perhaps the leading cast.
Camera/video effects were more than acceptable, acting was acceptable, the gore was a welcome surprise (lol), and the story was certainly more than engaging enough.
I'm not sure what I was expecting. I do prefer to go in fairly ignorant. At less than 90 minutes, it felt a little rushed. But for some, that might be the sweet spot for such a flick. I could definitely see watching this again. Probably in the near future! And I'm definitely interested in a sequel!
Camera/video effects were more than acceptable, acting was acceptable, the gore was a welcome surprise (lol), and the story was certainly more than engaging enough.
I'm not sure what I was expecting. I do prefer to go in fairly ignorant. At less than 90 minutes, it felt a little rushed. But for some, that might be the sweet spot for such a flick. I could definitely see watching this again. Probably in the near future! And I'm definitely interested in a sequel!
- omegaman7769-1
- May 17, 2022
- Permalink
Brightburn! Nah! He is Thanos' Son.
Bored of watching the usual supernatural characters, go for this one. He is Intelligent, Fast, Super Strong and Super Cute - But mind ya, he is here to take down the world, not save it!
The story of a devil and its advocate -
How long can it take for a mother (a character perfectly played by Elizabeth Banks) to come to terms with reality that her cute and brilliant kid is nothing but pure evil (a role brilliantly played by young artist Jackson Dunn)? How long will it take before she realizes that she has been playing a "devil's advocate"? Find it for yourself, you won't be disappointed!
And if you think that an intelligent, fast, strong and cute kid has to be none other than your regular Spider-Man, then I insist you to think again!
This is an original stuff. Hats off! to the writers for coming up with an extraordinary piece of work with an equally talented cast.
The story of a devil and its advocate -
How long can it take for a mother (a character perfectly played by Elizabeth Banks) to come to terms with reality that her cute and brilliant kid is nothing but pure evil (a role brilliantly played by young artist Jackson Dunn)? How long will it take before she realizes that she has been playing a "devil's advocate"? Find it for yourself, you won't be disappointed!
And if you think that an intelligent, fast, strong and cute kid has to be none other than your regular Spider-Man, then I insist you to think again!
This is an original stuff. Hats off! to the writers for coming up with an extraordinary piece of work with an equally talented cast.
- ReelShahid
- Aug 7, 2019
- Permalink
Dull and Generic
Whether you like Zack Snyder's controversial, grittier take on Superman in "Man Of Steel" or felt that it was a complete butchery of the character, I assure you that whatever was done in this film makes what Snyder did look great. "Brightburn" tells a 'what if' tale about an evil Superman, or in this case, Superboy. It is a horror take on the classic mythos with Superman now being a 12-year-old boy who turns out to be evil.
On paper, that sounds amazing. A deconstruction of the iconic character that has actually worked surprisingly well in it's original medium- the comics. Furthermore, it is produced by James Gunn and written by his brothers, Brian and Mark. With Gunn being so closely attached to this project, how could it possibly fail? After all this is James Gunn we are talking about, the man who is responsible for bringing the d-list "Guardians of the Galaxy" to the big screen. Gunn's 2010 film, "Super" was also a deconstruction of the superhero genre by itself and "Slither" was an excellent homage to old school horror films. Looking back at his past filmography, "Brightburn" seems to be a sure fire culmination of them all. Unfortunately, this is not directed nor written by him.
As mentioned, the script was written by his brothers, who previously worked on "Journey 2", the one with The Rock. Director David Yarovesky who has done nothing really notable, other than a music video for "Guardians of the Galaxy 2" and some horror feature no one's heard before, helms this. Boy, does it really show. For a film that aims to subvert the superhero genre or the mythos, it does nothing new. Instead, the end product is bleak and dire that even out matches the dark DC Snyder-verse, in that area. However, it is also bland and dull.
For some reason, this film has no comedic elements or even fun at all. Although I appreciate it being in full horror territory, the lack of James Gunn's signature tongue in cheek tone is infuriating. It's as if "Brightburn" tries so hard to make fun of and criticize "Man of Steel" but becomes the worse version of it. There are so many elements that Yarovesky and his writers directly lift from "Man of Steel". Heck, even the score sounds similar to Hans Zimmer's epic. However, all these elements felt watered down and it is not way as glorious as it's predecessor.
"Brightburn" feels unusually cheap and I don't mean as a low budget film only. The script is weak and the narrative feels incomplete. Scenes felt like they have not enough shot coverage or footage available. The entire film feels too rushed as a whole. I can't believe that I missed the slower pace of "Man of Steel". There are also weird character decisions that don't make any sense and only seemed to be made for moving on the plot.
Despite the acting being mostly competent, I could not care less about the characters. There is zero character development whatsoever, especially for the evil kid and weirdly enough, there is also no mythology fleshed out at all which leaves a ton of unanswered questions by the end. Additionally, "Brightburn" suffers from most of the same pitfalls of being formulaic and generic as any other modern day horror film. There is an over-reliance on jump scares and cut away from as much from the gore as possible.
Overall, it is really maddening how the film never reached a bit of it's creative potential. What we have got is a bare minimum of a movie that is so subpar to even call it a deconstruction of anything. It should have been over the top, satirical or at least scary. It's funny as an over the top character, played by one of James Gunn's commonly worked with actors, showed up when the credits rolled, leaving you to realise this should have been the tone of the film.
For a better deconstruction of the genre, audiences might want to watch Josh Trank's "Chronicle" instead. Despite my hatred of found footage, I appreciate what Trank was trying to do and it is a proper way to look at the genre differently. Or audiences can just go and watch "Man of Steel" again as flawed as it maybe; Snyder did fleshed out a unique perspective of the character. This on the other hand, is I quote from another reviewer, a cheap one-night-stand that takes all your money and leaves you unsatisfied.
On paper, that sounds amazing. A deconstruction of the iconic character that has actually worked surprisingly well in it's original medium- the comics. Furthermore, it is produced by James Gunn and written by his brothers, Brian and Mark. With Gunn being so closely attached to this project, how could it possibly fail? After all this is James Gunn we are talking about, the man who is responsible for bringing the d-list "Guardians of the Galaxy" to the big screen. Gunn's 2010 film, "Super" was also a deconstruction of the superhero genre by itself and "Slither" was an excellent homage to old school horror films. Looking back at his past filmography, "Brightburn" seems to be a sure fire culmination of them all. Unfortunately, this is not directed nor written by him.
As mentioned, the script was written by his brothers, who previously worked on "Journey 2", the one with The Rock. Director David Yarovesky who has done nothing really notable, other than a music video for "Guardians of the Galaxy 2" and some horror feature no one's heard before, helms this. Boy, does it really show. For a film that aims to subvert the superhero genre or the mythos, it does nothing new. Instead, the end product is bleak and dire that even out matches the dark DC Snyder-verse, in that area. However, it is also bland and dull.
For some reason, this film has no comedic elements or even fun at all. Although I appreciate it being in full horror territory, the lack of James Gunn's signature tongue in cheek tone is infuriating. It's as if "Brightburn" tries so hard to make fun of and criticize "Man of Steel" but becomes the worse version of it. There are so many elements that Yarovesky and his writers directly lift from "Man of Steel". Heck, even the score sounds similar to Hans Zimmer's epic. However, all these elements felt watered down and it is not way as glorious as it's predecessor.
"Brightburn" feels unusually cheap and I don't mean as a low budget film only. The script is weak and the narrative feels incomplete. Scenes felt like they have not enough shot coverage or footage available. The entire film feels too rushed as a whole. I can't believe that I missed the slower pace of "Man of Steel". There are also weird character decisions that don't make any sense and only seemed to be made for moving on the plot.
Despite the acting being mostly competent, I could not care less about the characters. There is zero character development whatsoever, especially for the evil kid and weirdly enough, there is also no mythology fleshed out at all which leaves a ton of unanswered questions by the end. Additionally, "Brightburn" suffers from most of the same pitfalls of being formulaic and generic as any other modern day horror film. There is an over-reliance on jump scares and cut away from as much from the gore as possible.
Overall, it is really maddening how the film never reached a bit of it's creative potential. What we have got is a bare minimum of a movie that is so subpar to even call it a deconstruction of anything. It should have been over the top, satirical or at least scary. It's funny as an over the top character, played by one of James Gunn's commonly worked with actors, showed up when the credits rolled, leaving you to realise this should have been the tone of the film.
For a better deconstruction of the genre, audiences might want to watch Josh Trank's "Chronicle" instead. Despite my hatred of found footage, I appreciate what Trank was trying to do and it is a proper way to look at the genre differently. Or audiences can just go and watch "Man of Steel" again as flawed as it maybe; Snyder did fleshed out a unique perspective of the character. This on the other hand, is I quote from another reviewer, a cheap one-night-stand that takes all your money and leaves you unsatisfied.
- celestine1307
- May 18, 2019
- Permalink
Is it a bird, is it a plane ...
What would rhyme with that? Hmmm ... now maybe you've read the summary so you know. Or you just heard that it's a superhero horror movie. And boy is it a horror movie. This indeed is not meant to be shown to kids - level of violence is through the roof - no pun intended.
As with many horror movies it does contain quite a few cliches - one of them characters being unable to see what is right in front of them. So while certain things could have been avoided ... it would not have made a good movie or only a short one. This aims to please or cover a certain base of viewers. You should know if you belong to them
As with many horror movies it does contain quite a few cliches - one of them characters being unable to see what is right in front of them. So while certain things could have been avoided ... it would not have made a good movie or only a short one. This aims to please or cover a certain base of viewers. You should know if you belong to them