Film Review: "Brightburn" (2019).

"Evil Has Found Its Superhero" in Brightburn. This superhero horror film directed by David Yarovesky and written by Brian Gunn and Mark Gunn. The film poses a question: What if a child from another world crash-landed on Earth, but instead of becoming a hero to mankind, he proved to be something far more sinister?

In December 2017, under the title Untitled James Gunn Horror Project, the film was announced with James Gunn producing, his cousin Mark Gunn and brother Brian Gunn penning the screenplay, and David Yarovesky directing. The film was scheduled for a November 30th 2018 release date, before it was delayed to May 24th 2019. In March 2018, Elizabeth Banks, David Denman, Meredith Hagner, Matt Jones, and Jackson A. Dunn were cast. Around the same time, principal photography commenced and wrapped in May, with filming taking place in Georgia. In early December, the first trailer was released to surprising reactions, being cited as an "Ultraman horror movie" due to its deconstructionist approach to the Superman mythos and the superhero genre.

The film stars Banks, Denman, Jones, Hagner, and Dunn. The cast gave solid performances with Banks, Denman, and Dunn giving unique interpretations of the Martha, Jonathan, and Clark Kent archetypes. Banks and Denman's portrayal of the loving and supportive human parents is touching and heartbreaking. Dunn's portrayal as the super-powered being is twisted and terrifying. Thanks to the cast's outlandishly tragic ambition, and a terrifying performance from Dunn, there are screams to be had, but it could have been a scarier tragedy.

Brightburn's intriguing premise and talented cast are drowned in a blood-red sea of graphic violence, jarring tonal shifts, and expendable characters. It's not that this type of movie shouldn't be made—this type of movie could be brilliant—but it plays like every first draft idea anyone had found its way to the screen because it made someone scared to death over a few drinks. Some really interesting ideas and the odd flash of awesomeness, but overall a misfire with some ill-judged nastiness. There's a great movie somewhere inside the film. It's an undeniably entertaining film. But there's something off about it. The film is a particularly dark tale, a twisted story, and occasionally a very good movie, just rarely at the same time. If you aren't too bothered by the sight of people getting killed with every inch of their lives, this idiosyncratic superhero horror film is for you. The film is an ingeniously nasty concoction that feeds the cult of superhero fandom back into itself. As a superhero horror film, it works reasonably well some of the time, with plenty of horror but not much superhero. Offers genuine sadism with the put-upon protagonist's journey for death and destruction, yet plays the bloody ramifications for nihilistic gloom. This movie is too pedestrian for horror, and too scattershot for a superhero film. It's difficult to tell if the filmmakers are really trying to play for screams, because so much of the horror is outlandish. The ingredients just don't mesh.

Simon says Brightburn receives: