Ever since the dawn of DC Comics, people have wondered “What if Superman used his powers for evil?” Sure, there have been plenty of comic adaptations of that story over the years, but with Brightburn, we can see a big screen adaptation of it.

Written by Brian Gunn and Mark Gunn (brother and cousin to James Gunn), the film follows a husband and wife who adopt a child that literally fell from the sky.

Stealing the beats from Superman, said child arrived on a spaceship that crash-landed in the small Kansas town of Brightburn. While he looks just like a human, and grows up like one, around his 12th birthday, something changes in him.

Brandon (the boy) is awakened one night by the red glow and call of the spaceship, now locked away in the barn. It speaks to him in a strange langue and compels him to do strange things…like put his hand in a lawnmower’s blade. As his own abilities develop, so do his sociopathic tendencies, and it’s not long before all hell breaks loose.

I’m going to be honest…this movie isn’t going to land on any “best of” lists for 2019. The story is uneven and the pacing is all over the place. But that didn’t stop me from enjoying the hell out of it based on the concept alone.

Brightburn, directed by David Yarovesky, speeds up the character development almost as fast as Brandon can move, bypassing it so it can get to the good stuff. Once Brandon begins his reign of terror, you cannot look away. Horror fans will be delighted (and surprised!) by how absolutely gory the film is. Like, so gory that I literally had to look away at one scene that involved a piece of glass. And I’m not faint of heart!

This is the type of movie you just have fun with; you’re not expecting Citizen Kane. I loved how it ramped up in the last 30 minutes or so, and I would 100% watch the hell out of a sequel to see how the story develops. Jump scares were aplenty, but even the predictably telegraphed ones come with scenes of great tension, to Yarovesky’s credit.

The 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray contains a smattering of special features, but nothing crazy to write home about.

There are 3 “Quick Burns” vignettes hosted by Elizabeth Banks, Producer James Gunn, and Director David Yarovesky that are more EPK style fluff than anything exciting.
The “Hero-Horror!” featurette is interesting, as it talks about creating the “Hero-Horror” genre, which to my knowledge, has never really been done before this film. It was interesting to hear the Gunns talk about their filmmaking style and storytelling process for the film. The “Nature vs. Nurture” featurette was about the creative process on flipping the script of the traditional “Superhero” and diving into what motivates Brandon Breyer to do the things he does. And finally, there was filmmaker commentary with Director David Yarovesky, DP Michael Dallatorre, and Costume Designer Autumn Steed.

Overall, Brightburn was a fun time, and an enjoyable way to spend 90 minutes. If you haven’t seen it yet, it’s worth at LEAST a rental. But if you’re into superhero films, definitely pick it up.

It’s available now on digital, and on 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray™ and DVD on 8/20.