New to Netflix, but originally released in 2019, Brightburn seems to answer the question many fans of DC have wondered; what would it be like if Superman was evil? While the movie does not relate to DC in any way, it seems as though the Man Of Steel’s story was at least an inspiration for this horror flick.
Brandon Breyer in his homemade mask / Picture Credit: Screen Gems
The synopsis
Married couple Tori (Elizabeth Banks) and Kyle Breyer (David Denman) have been trying to have a baby for a long time; their shelves are full of books on pregnancy and conception.
One night, they hear a thunderous banging; in the forest not far from their farmyard home, the Breyer’s find a child inside a spaceship. They seem to think that this baby boy, who they name Brandon, is a miracle and now they finally have their family.
Brandon (Jackson A Dunn) does not know he is different, and has a wonderful connection with his parents, especially his mother. When he turns 12 however, things begin to unravel for Tori and Kyle, who have no idea what to do when they notice that their son has unnatural powers.
Upon realising that he has abilities, Brandon starts to change; he becomes rude, secretive, and most of all, sinister.
The film then follows the Breyers as husband and wife attempt to figure out what to do about Brandon; and if he’s the cause of the gruesome murders occurring around town.
So, what did I think?
This film got going pretty quickly; we see home videos of Brandon growing up, and it’s really driven home throughout the movie how happy his parents are to have him.
I will admit, after around the 15-20 minute mark I was getting a little bored. Nothing much was happening until Brandon’s birthday party, which shows his demeanour change from kind and polite, to rude and stubborn.
When the horror elements started creeping in a bit more, that’s when I really began to pay attention. Despite the narrative getting very intense and gruesome, it seemed that there was little lead into this; sure, Brandon has been discovering his powers, but it seems that all of a sudden he’s just… evil.
Despite the film abruptly gaining momentum, seemingly out of nowhere, that doesn’t take away from the fact that the hasty horror tones and paranormal atmosphere really kicked this movie up a notch.
The more Brandon leaned into his abilities, the more sinister the movie became. The voices he hears are a little creepy, and as soon as his parents begin to believe he isn’t the boy they thought he was and connect the dots, that’s when the fear really seeps in.
I didn’t expect this film to be as gory and violent as it was, given it’s less-than-interesting start. The connection that Brandon has with his mother is a lovely one, as they get on like a house on fire; this love the characters share makes it all the more distressing when Brandon lashes out, and causes some townsfolk some serious and deadly injuries.
The cinematography, particularly in the final stretch of the movie, was brilliant. Dark skies and random strokes of light created almost a platform for Brandon to stand on. His glowing red eyes put me in mind of an evil beast, and his dim silhouette still stood out against the night sky.
All in all, Brightburn is definitely worth the watch. It takes a while to get going and, once it does, it all seems to kick off at once as the ambience simply became so intense so quickly; this actually worked in the film’s favour as I was shocked when the vibe became as sinister and harrowing as it did.
Brightburn is available to watch on Netflix now!
Check out the trailer for Brightburn below!
Written by Melissa, who you can follow on Twitter @melissajournal
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