Dir. David Yarovesky | Now Streaming On: Tubi | Rating: 4/5

Might want to sit down for this one – superhero movies aren’t really my thing. Other than some of the Spiderman and Batman franchises, I haven’t seen much and don’t tend to enjoy them. So, the promise of the ultimate antihero movie that Brightburn brought was definitely compelling for me. Though there is something misplaced and campy about this film, it is still one of my unsung favorites.⁠
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Brightburn artistically inverts the Superman backstory into something much more sinister. As touched upon in some more recent superhero movies, what if the heroes from outer space aren’t here to protect humanity but instead destroy it? Branden takes every sociopathic child trope (think The Good Son) and brings it to the next level with his super strength, speed, and other powers. ⁠
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The goal of Brightburn is to deconstruct Superman as a character and present the viewer with the true horror that could have become of Clark Kent. Branden lacks morality, cares little for human emotion, and resorts to primal instincts of rage and lust. This stands as a direct parallel from the American iconography of Clark’s good will and desire to serve man.⁠
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Stylistically, Brightburn is far from subtle and in some places the pacing and script suffer because of it. The small town, campy feel will not be to everyone’s taste. It crosses our typical slasher tropes with the superhero inversion that makes for an interesting watch. In the scheme of the genres, a dark retelling of the superhero trope was a valiant effort – even if technically flawed. ⁠
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Know Before You Watch: Features death, blood, body horror. ⁠