Brightburn - Review

Brightburn

Elisabeth Banks stars in a rare combo science fiction - horror film called “Brightburn”. And as much as this story suggest from its trailers it is the same previous story line of the Superman child who comes to earth reboot, it also is a story about a satanic child in the same manner of the 1968 Oscar nominated film “Rosemary’s Baby”, with a more cautionary tale for young couples unable to conceive a child …………”be very careful what you wish for in a baby”.  Wink – Wink.

Just like in all of the previous “Superman” films we see a loving Kansas couple who are awakened by a nighttime thunderous explosion in their back yard. And as they ventured out late at night to investigate the explosion, they discover a glowing red light and a long ditch of where an alien spaceship has crashed. And inside of that ship is an infant male child on board. With parental instincts already ranging they see this child as their own potential bundle of new joy; a true sign from God granting their wish come true. So, this decent loving couple who have been desperately trying to have a single child of their own decide instantly to make the lifelong faithful decision to not report the event to authorities, and lie to an entire quaint town by raising the seemingly harmless infant boy to be a good nature, respectful and productive member of society as they are. So far so good right?.............Eeeeeeh.

Now fast forward about 14 years and we see the child has reached puberty and in the same manner as the eventual “Superman’ we now see not someone named “Clark Kent” but “Brandon Breyer”. He is starting to feel strange within himself. So much so he eventually and shockingly reveals that he has amazing powers to fly, have human super strength, not bleed and an ability to see through walls. And what if at that point he too decides to use his superpowers for all of humanity?…………Well at this point you would be wrong Tootoo, as this is not that kind of “Superman” story in Kansas anymore Dorothy.

REVIEW: Typically, as a rule I tend to complain about how films are generally too long. But in the case of “Brightburn”, running 1:30 minutes, the opposite is true as the film’s plot and overall idea were initially brilliantly conceived. But in its haste to keep things moving quickly along more effort should have been given to showing young Brandon slowly and subtly evolving with real emotional struggles, with real displays of genuine self-loathing and conflict, with inner torment of his good vs his evil sinister side. For me, in the case of “Brightburn” it transitioned way too quickly in his embrace of his darker self with the same subtle delicacy of me getting up one random morning to impulsively decide to perform brain surgery with a jack hammer and a backhoe digger. And while this aspect was a bit bothersome for my critical eye, it truly took away from a potential new film story with great franchising possibilities.

But for me the single over annoying aspect of the film was not Elizabeth Banks (Tori Breyer) acting performance or her husband’s performance played by David Denman (Kyle Breyer). No they did fine enough. It was how their characters were written to be the single biggest married dopes suffering from “my child can do no wrong barren womb syndrome”  I have ever seen.

Not literally but metaphorically we see examples of the dopiness such as when at breakfast they see their Brandon bending the fork with his teeth…………”Look at our strong man”. When he crushes a young girls hand …..”Oh it’s just puberty, boys do crazy stuff when they like girls”…….When they witness with their very own eyes chickens on the farm totally freaking out at Brandon’s mere physical presence and a hour later they are all McNuggets butchered to death………..”Oh the wolves got in the hen house again” . And while this did not happen in the movie, at this point I was totally prepared to hear from these gullible parents a dismissive answer upon seeing him set the school on fire with flames coming out of his ass with the response …………….”Well, you know how our baby boy loves him some Taco Bell Bean Burritos with extra Hot sauce ”.

“Brightburn” actually has some really good technical horrifying thrilling moments intertwine in this collective family – Kansas community naïve fest. And I must admit I was somewhat kind of amused  watching Elisabeth Bank’s “Tori” over and over again just be in total denial about her strange son who she found in a freaking space ship and who is now speaking in an unheard language who now older just might now be different than the other human children……………….YOU THINK?

Finally, while it was not meant to be funny,  I got a really big laugh when “Tori” (the mother) finally figures out her son was the cause of all of the previous sinister events in town when Brandon with glowing red eye balls laser fries a convenient victim’s eyes out all the way through the back of their FREAKING SKULL……………..As if earlier him throwing his dad flush 10 feet across the kitchen wall was not enough, it took laser burn light coming out of your eyes ………….”OH, SO  NOW YOU BELIEVE?”

In the end and oddly so, there was something intriguing about ‘Brightburn’s premise, its story and it’s conclusion. They certainly left open the possibility for a sequel. But for now, not enough for any of you to see in a theater.  Rather to see for a lazy I got nothing to do weekend rental in the fall.

2.50 Stars