Logan Sork Film Reviews
Brightburn
We all know the story of Superman to some extent whether you are a fan of the source material or not. The story of a child from another earth landing in a small town in Kansas and being raised to believe that he could make the world a better place by his loving parents going on to defend the world against the forces of humanity. But what would happen if the child from the stars was not a beacon of hope, but one of evil and destruction. This is the concept of the superhero/ horror hybrid Brightburn and while it may be a bit uneven, it fully delivers on its premise by asking what would happen if someone like Superman went crazy.
Brightburn is directed by David Yarovesky and stars Elizabeth Banks, David Denman, Jackson Dunn, Matt Jones, Meredith Hagner and Gregory Allan Williams. The film follows Tori and Kyle Breyer (Banks and Denman), a loving couple who wants nothing more than to have a child, despite their many failed attempts to conceive one. Their prayers are seemingly answered when an alien ship containing a human like child crash-lands on their farm. The couple take in the child and name him Brandon (Dunn), raising him as if he were one of their own. As Brandon begins to mature, he begins to show signs that he is something otherworldly, as he shows off incredible feats such as heightened speed and enhanced strength. Adding to this behavior, the ship that he was carried to earth in begins to send him cryptic messages, causing him to act even more abnormal. While Kyle begins to grow concerned at this behavior, Tori doesn’t want to believe that her son is a threat to the world and sees him as the miracle she prayed for. As the body count begins to grow however, Tori begins to wonder if her son is something more sinister than she was led to believe.
What intrigued me the most about Brightburn was its promise to explore the superhero mythos in a dark and twisted way, and on that front, it certainly delivered. There are a lot of homages to the Superman story we all know that are taken and given a different outcome by putting a horror spin on it. This could not have worked if the horror elements fell flat and thankfully they don’t. There are a lot of scenarios in this film that are genuinely terrifying, especially the scenes in which Brandon’s powers are totally unleashed. That being said, there are couple of fake outs that felt more frustrating than scary as well as a little too much focus on some of the gory aspects of the kills, especially as that’s not really what I look for in a good horror film. Despite those small problems, this film is genuinely scary and is not afraid to go all in with its concept and horror, something that you don’t see that often these days.
While the premise and horror were what brought me into the film, what kept me engaged were the actors and their fantastic performances. This is the best I’ve seen Elizabeth Banks in quite some time, and not in her usual comedic role. Her performance as someone who is willing to do what ever it takes to become a mother is absolutely gripping, especially when she feels the pain and guilt of realizing that her adoptive son may be the end to all humanity. It is this pain and struggle that makes her character so interesting and Banks sells every ounce of it. Jackson Dunn is also excellent as Brandon and is creepy in nearly every frame of the film, with a constant fear mulling in the back of your mind accompanied by his performance. He is also quite good at selling the scenes where he is required to be threatening, something that not many child actors can do convincingly, and Dunn pulls it off quite well. The rest of the cast is also excellent, with David Denman being another standout as Banks’ husband, who’s excellent chemistry makes the relationship and pain between them very believable. In the end, it’s the actor’s performances that help carry the film through its uneven spots.
As for what those uneven spots are, the biggest one for me is the pacing of the film. Clocking in at only ninety minutes, the film must set up the characters in an interesting and compelling way and deliver on its premise fully and at that rate there were parts of the film that felt a little rushed. Most notable of those moments was the transformation of Brandon from a shy boy struggling with his powers to a full-on psycho superman that seemed to come out of nowhere. It came out of almost nowhere, and while one could make the argument for the extraterrestrial influence having something to do with it, it still felt rushed. Had the transformation been paced better, we could’ve had an even more compelling film than what we got. There are also a couple of moments that are intended to be scary but end up coming across as quite laughable. There are a couple of other notable tonal clashes throughout the film but thankfully these moments are few and far between. There are also some scenes where the low budget of the film becomes quite noticeable, as the effects they are striving to achieve just are not convincing enough to buy into.
Overall, Brightburn is an interesting if uneven horror film that delivers on its premise well enough to enjoy it. The concept is used to chilling effect as are the horror elements and there are some fantastic performances. The flaws in this film become noticeable through the films rushed pace and a couple of unintentionally silly moments. In the end, if you’re a fan of superhero films, horror films or both, this film is definitely worth viewing, faults and all.
7/10