If you are weary of all the superhero stuff in the cinemas and are haring to the theatre to watch a subversion of the spandex-wearing saviours of humanity, you need to slow down. The James Gunn produced Brightburn about a nasty young alien is too slight and too derivative to be a satisfying antidote to Tony Stark and gang.
Tori and Kyle Breyer are trying to have a baby. Their prayers seem to be answered when a spaceship with a little baby crashes near their farm. They bring the baby home, naming him Brendon. Ten years later, Brendon discovers his superpowers while his parents realise their Brendon is not such a good little boy.
- Director: David Yarovesky
- Cast: Elizabeth Banks, David Denman, Jackson A. Dunn, Matt Jones, Meredith Hagner
- Story line: Superhero origin story, taking a turn along the way into serial killer territory
- Run time: 90 minutes
The movie then moves quickly to nasty territory with gory deaths including a jaw dropper and horrid things piercing eyes—ugh. James Gunn, who wrote the trippy take on Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, Tromeo and Juliet , and more recently directed The Guardians of the Galaxy films, seemed the right person to take on the superhero juggernaut. Unfortunately the light touch turns insubstantial and kills any attempts to see deeper meaning.
The movie at 90 minutes rushes to its sequel-ready end skimming over everything, not allowing us to get our teeth into anything—not the concerned parents’ horror of what they have let into their home and hearts, the uncle, the teacher, counsellor or the sheriff. We have seen wicked little boys in countless horror movies and this one is nothing new. That reflection in the mirror is done to death, just like the fleeing thing you see from the corner of your eye.
Maybe the movie is underwhelming because it is laying the groundwork for the sequel, but then it is falling prey to the same things that all effects-stuffed superhero movies suffer from. I cannot bear the thought of a Brightburn extended universe where everyone dies a million, creative, painful deaths.
