Brightburn

While James Gunn is very well-known to modern audiences for his work with Marvel Studios (the Guardians of the Galaxy 1 & 2), most seem to forget that his past filmography has included being involved with dark weird movies. One of those previous examples was Slither, which had a monster premise with some cheesy cliches and some impression gore effects for a low budget. After getting caught up in a debacle regarding his past Twitter posts, he stepped back into a new project that has those aforementioned aspects. This brings us to Brightburn, a new horror film James produced and written by Mark and Brian Gunn (his cousin and brother, respectively). The premise shown in the marketing made it clear that it would lean towards a more niche audience and this type of tale certainly piqued my interest. I entered the auditorium ready to give it a chance to see what they could bring and I left appreciating what they were going for but felt like these writers turned in a rough draft of a script from the execution that left more to be desired.

What's it about? The story follows a couple raising an alien gifted with powers after it crashes onto their property and later find him with nefarious motives that threaten their lives. It's taking a little piece of Superman's origin but twisting into something more sinister here. The debacle the couple faces as this tale moves forward is a fascinating one to watch as there's minor bits of visual storytelling to give a bit of background on them. The choices they must make later on adds tension to the situation and that kind of drama can yield powerful results.

However, the biggest obstacle holding this back from realizing its potential is how short the runtime is. Limiting how much can be shown not only messes up the pacing but doesn't let the impact of actions taken rest in for the audience. A deep exploration in the methodology of the child and the relationship with the parents needed a lot more time (at least 15 more minutes would have helped). It felt like the writers weren't motivated to expand on what they have and lazily rushing it out thinking that James' name will be enough to sell it.

How are the actors? Since this is a smaller film, the lead actors had the pressure of delivering on their respective roles to carry this feature and thankfully they held up their end of that bargain. In regards to the couple, Tori and Kyle Breyer, Elizabeth Banks and David Denman give great performances that encompass their respective roles and stances in raising the son. The way they work off each other shows how underrated both actors are (especially Banks). As for the son Brandon Breyer, Jackson A Dunn is great on showcasing the transition he undergoes into the malevolent threat he becomes.

How violent is it? An impressive area this movie delivers on is the production value within the violence. Despite the low budget, the gore is handled so well in the doses it's utilized in. James Gunn proves his craft here with the bloody damage he has on display with certain body parts. For those of you who have seen this, one great standout goes to the car crash hunt. My personal favorite that allowed for some solid visual horror involves a point of view shot from the first victim following their fatal injury.

Overall Consensus: While the writing and short runtime of Brightburn holds it back from reaching its potential, the performances from the lead actors, some solid horror, and good production value elevate its entertainment. ⭑⭑⭑1/2💻 Runtime: 1 hour 30 minutes R

Reasons to watch it: You like any of the aforementioned actors. You enjoy low budget horror films with some disgusting gore. You are interested in movies James Gunn is involved with.

Reasons to avoid it: You dislike any of the aforementioned actors. You are sensitive horror films with some disgusting gore.