Welcome one and all to part 43 of my weekly blog, The 52 In 52. The concept, if unfamiliar, is each week I pick a DVD or Blu Ray from my collection that I have never seen and I review it. Last week I watched the slick but, underwhelming, Thirteen Ghosts. I am currently in the middle of a month long horror marathon and post a lot about it on Instagram follow along and let me know what you are watching this October.
As always if you have any comments or feedback on this or any other post leave a comment in the section below or by following me on Twitter and Instagram.
This week I will be writing about the horror/superhero film Brightburn. Released in May of this year, Brightburn is directed by David Yarovesky, produced by James Gunn and written by Brian and Mark Gunn. The story of Brightburn might seem a little familiar to even the most casual comic book fan, What if an alien feel to earth as a baby and upon discovering his abilities became a little bit psychotic. Brandon Breyer (Jackson Dunn) is an intelligent, if a little shy, teenager who lives with his parents (Elizabeth Banks and David Denman) in small town Kansas. Brandon discovers abilities which he uses to bring fear to all that have ever wronged him.
I really enjoyed Brightburn. I feel it suffered upon release due to the controversy surrounding James Gunn and didn't receive nearly enough attention. As I mentioned the story is a familiar one but, the way in which it unfolds is a fresh take. At the heart of everything is a slightly over mothered child not only trying to get to grips with adolescence but, also trying to make sense of abilities that not one else has. So in effect Brandon has two different types of isolation to deal with. The way in which the story is told shows a real understanding of not only the super hero genre but, also how humanity reacts to people being different and how easy it is to let the darkness inside overwhelm all that is good inside.
The horror elements used in Brightburn are subtle to begin with but outweigh the superhero elements toward the second act of the film. There is some strong gore filled scenes but it is the effects used to highlight Brandon's abilities which really provide some incredible visuals. The mask that Brandon wears to embrace his alter ego, Brightburn, is terrifying and ridiculous in equal measure.
The cast is sparse but, incredible. Elizabeth Banks is almost unrecognisable as Tori Breyer and puts in a fantastic performance throughout. David Denman likewise is fantastic as Kyle Breyer and provides the voice of reason when Brightburn begins to strike.
Overall I think Brightburn is a well told super hero origin story with a twist. Whilst the over use of jump scares is a little distracting the way in which Brightburn is told will satisfy both super hero fans as well as horror fans. The story itself is strong with a strong cast behind it. I would be intrigued to see another instalment of this story or another story in this universe.
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