Brightburn (2019) Review – A Visceral and Mean-Spirited Superhero Slasher

Welcome to Knockout Horror. Today we are checking out the twisted take on the superhero genre from James Gunn – Brightburn.

Not so Superman

Brightburn focuses on the Breyer family; Mum Tori (Elizabeth Banks), Dad Kyle (David Denman), and son Brandon (Jackson A. Dunn). Brandon isn’t actually the blood child of Tori and Kyle, they found him in the woods after a strange encounter. As he grows older, it appears he is a little different. As he struggles with those around him, he begins to develop strange powers and, along with it, a horrific desire to harm people. This places the couple in a battle between protecting the son they love and protecting the world from his cruelty.

“Brightburn actually feels like a horror movie. In fact, at times, it borders on almost slasher levels of violence. It is extremely bloody, fairly tense, and the kills are up there with some of the champions of Gorno.”

We may as well get this out of the way early in the review. Many people are talking about Brightburn as if it’s the first horror movie to ever flip the superhero formula on its head. It’s not, 2012’s Chronicle which is based around a similar premise. The big question here isn’t whether it is wholly original but whether Brightburn does it better.

There’s a lot of differences, this is a child, Chronicle featured teens etc etc but they feel similar. The one area I would say that they differ is that Brightburn actually feels like a horror movie. In fact, at times, it borders on almost slasher levels of violence. It is extremely bloody, fairly tense, and the kills are up there with some of the champions of Gorno.

It’s not just the kills that give away Brightburn’s horror leanings, though. The tension in many of the scenes is really effective, with Brandon Breyer proving to be a capable, unstoppable, killer ala Jason or Mike Myers.

His impressive lack of empathy genuinely has you questioning what he will do next and to whom. This is an actual horror whereas Chronicle is more of a drama heavy thriller. Chronicle is still the better superhero gone rogue movie, though.

A different kind of superhero movie

I have to be honest, I am not the biggest fan of superhero movies. In fact, I will go out of my way to avoid them wherever possible. With that being said, I find the idea of a “superhero turned villain” story quite interesting. After all, the bad guys are always the most interesting characters, right?

Brightburn taps into the “Superhero gone bad” idea in much the same way that Chronicle did but without the good guy superheroes to act as a counter balance. This is a story that is far more focused on the emergence of a villain that has purely bad intentions.

Brandon is pretty intimidating, too, despite is diminutive stature. He is an alien from another planet and something that earth is evidently not prepared for. You would typically expect him to have some form of weakness; a Kryptonite if you will, and he does but it doesn’t play into the plot in the way you might think.

“Brightburn is not afraid to stay away from the cookie cutter elements that usually plague this type of horror movie and it may surprise you with the direction it takes at key moments.”

Brightburn is not afraid to stay away from the cookie cutter elements that usually plague this type of horror movie and it may surprise you with the direction it takes at key moments. With that being said, there are problems and they are pretty damn significant. Brightburn, as a movie, is far from perfect.

It has a few issues

As a simple horror with a science fiction based theme, some serious slasher elements, a different kind of villain, and tons of gore, Brightburn can be fun. As a production, there are elements that are severely lacking. The first thing worthy of note is the writing of Brian and Mark Gunn which can really leave you wanting.

Character development is a particular area of weakness. Brandon goes from being a lovable kid without a bad bone in his body to being the very epitome of evil pretty much overnight. The things that happen to him are not really sufficient reason for him taking out his anger on the world in such a way. If he is just like this by design then a little more elaborating would have gone a long way to helping us understand the character.

“It’s a fun, gory ride. It’s flawed and a bit messy, but the kills alone make it worth a watch for horror fans looking to kill 90 minutes. Just don’t expect a masterpiece.”

We never really get into Brandon’s head, we are just observers of his actions. A lot more character development would have been very welcome. Brightburn’s characters are also very one dimensional. Relationships are barely expanded upon and characters are essentially set up like bowling pins purely to be knocked down by our pre-pubescent, red eyed bowling ball. You don’t care about the characters and that impacts the overall weight and significance of the events.

It almost feels unfinished

Some of the reactions of the residents of Brightburn are just ridiculous, as well. Characters come across as stupid and, in some instances, completely blind to what is going on. Couple this with some of Brandon’s actions making little to no sense and you have a pretty confused narrative. Was Brightburn built downwind of a nuclear testing site? Everyone seems a little simple.

I feel as though there were a fair few scenes left on the cutting room floor that probably expanded on things a lot. It all just feels so damn loosely put together. I wouldn’t be surprised to see a 2 hour long director’s cut at some point in the future (this obviously never happened). I would definitely be interested in watching a version that goes into a little more detail on the events.

Acting and Cinematography

Cinematography was pretty good, nothing spectacular. There were some nice night-time shots in the barn. I felt as though some of the weird post production effects were unnecessary, though. Things flying at the screen and what not; it looked pretty bad and reminded me of a mid 2000s 3D movie.

“Jackson A. Dunn was really good as Brandon. I really loved the way he portrayed a lack of empathy, and he had some excellent facial expressions when his mood switched in certain scenes.”

Acting was good for the most part. Elizabeth Banks is always great and it makes a change to see her in a leading role. She always seems to be a co-star despite having the presence and unique looks to be a leading lady in Hollywood. She was very believable as a loving mother and wife that just wanted the best for her family.

Jackson A. Dunn was really good as Brandon. This is the type of role that often goes to kids who are just naturally a bit strange or quirky. “Better Watch Out’s” Levi Miller is a pretty good example of this, as is Ezra Miller in “We Need to Talk About Kevin”. Jackson A. Dunn actually just seems like a normal kid who is acting and he does a great job. I really loved the way he portrayed a lack of empathy and he had some excellent facial expressions when his mood switched in certain scenes.

Our Scoring Philosophy: A Fair Fight

Horror is a genre that thrives thanks to indie film makers and low budget creators. At Knockout Horror, we firmly believe that every movie that we review deserves a fair fight. That's why we grade on a curve. Our star ratings are all about context, judging a film on what it achieves with the resources it has.

A 4-star rating for a scrappy indie horror made for $10,000 is a testament to its ingenuity and raw power. A 4-star rating for a $100 million blockbuster means it delivered on its epic promises. We don't compare them side-by-side; we celebrate success in every weight class, from the back-alley brawler to the heavyweight champion. Please keep this in mind when considering star ratings.