Brightburn [Review by SpecialK]

Picture it: a young woman tosses and turns in her sleep. Something is keeping her awake. She opens her eyes and gasps—a caped crusader hovers outside her bedroom window. She swoons, and runs to the window to greet her masked hero—I’m sorry, what? In today’s true crime-obsessed world—where young women tune into podcasts weekly to hear people discuss their “favorite” murder cases, where books about the Golden State Killer and the Manson murders fly off the shelves, and where “…her life was picture perfect—until one fateful night…” provides the dinnertime soundtrack that fills the one-bedroom apartment of practically every young single lady—I find it quite surprising that no one has called out the creepiness of the stalkerish Superman-peeking-in-the-window scene. No one, that is, until now.

I won’t keep you in suspense. I loved Brightburn. From the moment we meet Brandon Breyer as a bundled baby that drops out of the sky, to his terrible preteen self-awakening, to his parents’ grappling with the realization of what they’ve brought into this world, director David Yarovesky gets it right.

Early on in the film we realize that any expectations we have about either horror or superheroes are out the window. Where Get Out twists our understanding of horror, race, and comedy, Brightburn takes the landscape of a typical superhero film and slides over it and clicks into place a glowing, evil, red filter, resulting in a final snapshot that’s darker and gorier than any twisted Batman villain-filled Christopher Nolan film could ever be.

But the successful story arc would be nothing if it weren’t for some throwback and even nostalgic cinematography, some creative and carefully-workshopped writing that wraps up the film in a way that satisfies both genres but still leaves you wanting more, and some pretty decent acting (who knew Elizabeth Banks could play such an effectively-devoted and desperate mother, or that a simple, blank stare from Jackson A. Dunn could be so terrifying?)

As far as scares, Brightburn also delivers, and checks most of the boxes—the psychopathic killer vibe, the paranormal possession imagery, and the squeamish, sqeal-inducing gore that makes you cover your eyes and laugh because you just don’t know what else to do. And the icing on the cake? My latest favorite artist’s music makes a cameo. What more do you need to know? See it in the theaters. See it now.

SpecialK Verdict: Brightburn is a super dark and scary surprise, and one you shouldn’t miss if you’re a horror fan looking for something new.

Brightburn opened everywhere Friday, May 24.

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