Brightburn
Dir David Yarovesky
Written by Brian Gunn, Mark Gunn.
Elizabeth Banks, David Denman, Jackson Dunn, Matt Jones, Meredith Hagner.
In 2006, Kansas farming couple Toni and Kyle Breyer have been trying to have a child, but have been unsuccessful. When a meteorite crash lands in their back yard, their prayers are answered, when they find a baby boy inside, who they name Brandon.
13 years later, after a seemingly ordinary life – the meteorite comes to life – and with it – gives Brandon superhuman powers, and also begins to possess him with evil – and soon he begins to terrorise those who have spoken poorly of him.
Another medium that has the ‘what if Superman’ was evil trope, is done fairly well – and is graphically violent at times. It comes from cousin writers Brian and Mark Gunn, and produced by James Gunn. It is also supposedly set in the same universe as Gunn’s ‘Super’ which stars Rainn Wilson.
The cast are all solid, with the primarily comedic Banks doing a stellar job of Brandon’s mum, who along with Denman as his father start to uncover who or what their son is becoming. The MVP however goes to Dunn, as Brandon – who discovers he is from another world and is being possessed to ‘take the world’.
There is nothing overly memorable about the screenplay, other than a few ‘nods’ to Superman when Tori tells Brandon ‘he is here for a reason’. It has some solid moments, and is passable with the dialogue between characters.
The setting of ‘farmland Kansas’ is clearly another play on the character of Superman/Clark Kent. Even Brandon’s name is alliteration with his sir-name Breyer.
The sound track has an eerie undertone to it, that mirrors the almost horror element of the film, especially during some of the attacks during the proceedings.
It also ends on a ‘non arrogant’ cliff-hanger, in which the credits show what occurs ‘after’ the movie ends (paired brilliantly to Billie Eilish’ Bad Guy. Five years later and still waiting on news of a sequel???
Easy to watch at just under 90m, fingers crossed that sequel happens one day.
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