#tori breyer

[drinkingdrunk]

@giftober 2022 | Day 6+7: "Heroes" + One colour

Brightburn (2019)

[dougbeamer]

Brightburn - Movie Review *Spoilers*

I saw this movie almost a month ago. I tried doing a video review for it several weeks ago and idk...nothing stuck. What I wanted to say just felt like it could be the same as everyone else. I just don’t think I’m gonna add anything new to the consensus.

But then I got thinking about it again for some reason I felt a desire to talk about it again.

So! Let's start with the plot and what this movie is about.

Brightburn is a film that came out in May of 2019 and tells the story of a family Tori and Kyle Breyer trying to have a kid. By a miraculous miracle, a spaceship crashlands on their farm and they adopt the baby boy inside naming him, Brandon. Many years later the family begins experiencing weird things with their now 12-year-old child. He sleepwalks to the barn where the ship he crashed landed in mumbling a strange language and trying to get inside. 

Eventually, Brandon Breyer’s powers take effect and he starts using them to kill people rather than saving people. Brandon Breyer’s is on the full path to becoming a supervillain.

With the plot, in a nutshell, I can tell you there isn’t much more to it than that. If there is anything that I don’t like when making my reviews is explaining the plot. I know I need to in order to give everyone a heads up of what I am talking about but I never seem to talk about the plot specifically enough. I never actually describe it well. My store manager had an opportunity to see this film and said it pretty simply. “It’s like Superman meets Annabell”

While I never have seen Annabell it seems like an apt description. Annabell seems like a small film in scale and terrorizes folks who come close to it. The stakes are personal, intense and not much beyond what you are given. Of course, Superman is the spot on the comparison you can give because this film screams, “WE ARE SHOWING WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF SUPERMAN WENT EVIL!” as a concept piece.

Every time I think about this film the less I like about it. 

I know there are some people out there that probably L-O-V-E this film and can’t wait to see what is next in this obvious start to a twisted franchise. 

This film is basic. Very basic. Nothing more to it than a kid coming to his own with superpowers with his parents in denial of what he is capable of. The father is less in denial than the mother is who refuses to think her child is capable of such things.

At the beginning of this film, I actually loved it. The took just enough time to create the conflict between these two that they wanted a child. Just then their house is rocked by an earthquake and they proceed to check it out. It was mysterious, it was solid. 

The rest of the film...not so much. 

When I watch a film I lookout for a few things. One of them being dialogue, moments to establish the relationships as true, real and tangible, stakes that make sense no matter how much it derails the people involved, and above all else how the film constructs this. Bring it all together with enough pomp and circumstance to say we are functional.

To me, this movie is barely functional.

Dialogue is stiff. When people talk to one another it's so short and to the point that it feels like there is more than can be said. This may not be a legitimate critique but I do feel like the technique of talking is wasted here.

There was a scene where after Brandon crushed a girl's hand and the following scene the parents were all talking in the principal's office. The mother of the daughter was clearly upset and rightfully so. She was spouting this and that, “he should go to jail” and other justifiable remarks. Until...she talks about Brandon's real mother and calls her an inbred psycho. This obviously crosses a line as Tori simply states that if trash-talking a 12-year-old child helps erica sleep better at night maybe she is the one that needs help. After that, the scene wraps up and it's over. It's not without consequence, of course, but I feel that the scene was stunted with a lot of missed opportunities with dialogue. Instead of Erica overstepping her bounds and Tori putting her in her place within seconds of the scene ending I felt that should have been the biggest conflict in the scene. A longer more emotionally driven scene. 

Granted I know the script has been flipped and instead of Brandon being the good guy he's bad. The parents are sticking up for him wrongfully but are on the side of good and Erica is in the middle. The scene conveys mixed emotions that I feel no one is good, no one really knows what to say or do. Brandon is not arrested, he is suspended and will have therapy there afterward and one simple insult closes this off and they move onto the next subject. With the knowledge of the looming fate, Erica will endure.  I feel the scene should have been at least a few minutes longer where we are given a chance to really understand where other people are coming from. By this point, we know where Kyle and Teri are coming from but not Erica. She is actually smack dab in the middle of a situation she has to immediately respond to. Before that, she only was apart of Brandon’s birthday and saw him throw a temper-tantrum where the electronics around him went out. No speaking lines and that may be enough for her to call Brandon a psycho but allow me to point out...

There is an entire bit of backstory faded out to the prolonged stare Teri was making with her son Brandon. A lot of dialogue was muffled out do to her zoning out. They only time she snaps out of it is when insults are being thrown out towards Brandon and questions of who his real mother is. 

That entire scene should have been insightful! Erica could still stay as the emotional mother who just hears and sees the aftermath of her daughter's hand crushed but we could have known at some point where she stood with the family, what kind of friends they were and some back history. Cause we just found out in that very moment more than just the family knows about Brandon’s adoption. That there in of itself leaves me to believe a lot has to be assumed in order to understand where everyone is coming from.

My mind goes to the phrase Expectations vs Reality. When I think about this movie there were a lot of expectations and when the reality hit we basically see what could have been opposed to what we got. Brightburn had a criticism that its full potential was not realized.

This is where I have to disagree. 

Yes, I have to disagree. 

We have had over 10 years of great storytelling and bad storytelling at our expense thanks to Marvel, DC, various TV shows throughout the last decade. We know exactly what we want in these types of films. So when we get a what-if concept there are only a few ways we can go with it.

Our expectations are seeing a complex take on the tale of Superman becoming evil and the reality is we see a kid who is being manipulated by a ship speaking an evil language. We don’t really see where the kid is coming from except for getting upset that he is different and was lied to for 12 years.

The reality is this is probably the best way to convey a what-if piece. Keep it Simple. Keep it just as grounded as it is right now. My biggest gripe is how everyone talks to one another. How the situations play out are almost perfect to convey such an excellent concept. 

So sticking up for this film in this regard, it did exactly what it was setting out to do. Become a concept piece that would show the makings of a villain that was based on one of the most powerful superheroes we will ever know. In fictional terms of course.

The fact that it didn’t go in any direction we were really hoping it to is not a bad thing though. Sure maybe we could have seen the makings of a villain rise up and maybe the parents are in on it. Maybe the mother takes Brandon under her wing and teaches him to channel his evil tendencies towards people that deserve it much like dexter. Instead, Patricide and Matricide are inflicted, Uncles and Aunts are killed, and next-door neighbors are terrified in cliche fashion before they are horribly killed.

What really doesn’t make this film work for me is not really buying into the fact that this kid who seems well to do, not a single psychopathic bone in his body is suddenly turned when the spaceship he crashed landed in, activates.

The film does not do a good job giving us anything that could give us a clue into Brandon’s head. Is he being controlled? Is he acting out of rage? Well, the answer to that is yes and yes. But when? When are those moments? Because one scene he is going back to the girl (the one whos wrist was broken) and tells her that she is the ONLY person who knows how special he is.

One scene before it or after it I can’t remember which...shows him going into a rage as soon as he figures out what the alien message is saying to him. So he either had a small influence then took what he could and left the rest. Or he gets small doses of this throughout the time he first encountered it. Its really unclear.

One big thing is how people write off each weird happenstance throughout the story of the film. The father, Kyle believes Brandon got in and killed some chickens late at night. The best excuse Tori has is that a wolf opened up a locked door and killed some chickens. 

I mean, the reasonings of what to talk about and what not to talk about is out of this world.

The parents find Brandon's secret stash of naked women that soon turn more grizzly where there are pictures of surgical diagrams and graphic photos of organs. Tori exclaims, “Maybe we should have the talk”

In the next scene, they go on a camping trip and the father and son have an awkward conversation about this. But the only thing mentioned was sexual urges and nothing more. DUDE, you found diagrams and organs! That is much more specific than showing off a desirable swimsuit model! TALK ABOUT THAT! This stuff gets pretty redundant after a while. You get it. Dialogue doesn’t work, the scenes and situations mentioned don’t add up when they need to talk about more important things, the relationship between the mother and father work but not with the kid, sadly. 

I feel this movie did deliver upon its potential I just feel it could have been written better. I could care less that it was a cliche horror murder movie. Give me something basic and grow from there. You could have had the characters a lot smarter, capable, flesh out the scenes better and you would have had one solid film on your hands. 

Perhaps I don’t have anything better to say than anyone else but this movie came close to frustrating me on how it presented itself.

The ending sparked more curiosity and obvious means to a sequel that I feel should have been introduced in the middle of the film. But, hey, that's just my expectations talking. 

I know there are some out there that love the film. One who can justify actions and means of what really could have been going down. But I am a very literal person so if it ain't shown to me I am not going to assume so much happened in-between scenes. I am not a psychic so I don’t know what one is thinking and if you keep a kid quiet I won’t know where he is coming from. 

That is exactly what this film did. It alienated me. Me no likey.

**/***** (2 out of 5)

[rolltheclip]

Brightburn (2019)

[for1010101010]

Terry Richardson - Issue A7 - 2013 - Published by Beatrix Felix - 160 pages - 22,5 x 30,4 cm First edition. The Death Issue. Featuring Tori Black photographed by Nobuyoshi Araki, and featuring work by, Aaron Bondaroff, Antoine D'Agata, Araki, Aurel Schmidt, Bela Borsodi, Bill Henson, Bjarne Melgaard, Bret Easton Ellis, Breyer P-Orridge, Christopher Wool, Cy Twombly, Cyprien Gaillard, Dan Colen, Daniel Johnston, Danny Lyon, Doping Pong, Enrique Metindes, Fuck This Life, Fuyuko Matsui, Giasco Bertoli, Glenn Kenny, Gunter Brus, Hanna Liden, Harmony Korine, Jack Webb, Jack Donoghue, James Dearlove, Jenny Saville, Jim Goad, Joe Coleman, John Holland, John Willie, Pope John Paul II, Kiyotaka Tsurisaki, Leon Lefarge, Michael Schmidt, Mila Djordjevic, Namio Harukawa, Nate Lowman, Pascal Dangin, Paul McCarthy, Peter Saville, Robert Crumb, Raymond Pettibon, Richard Prince, Sophia Al Maria, Stewart Home, Terry Richardson, Toshio Saeki, Trevor Brown, Vince Aletti...

[abcnewspr]

HIGHLIGHTS FOR ABC NEWS’ ‘GOOD MORNING AMERICA’ SEPTEMBER 13 – SEPTEMBER 18

The following report highlights the programming of ABC’s “Good Morning America” during the week of September 13– September 18. “Good Morning America” is a two-hour, live program anchored by Robin Roberts, George Stephanopoulos, Michael Strahan and Ginger Zee is the chief meteorologist. The morning news program airs MONDAY-FRIDAY (7:00-9:00 a.m. EST), on the ABC Television Network.

Highlights of the week include:

Monday, September 13— Vogue Editor in Chief Anna Wintour; actress and author Gabrielle Union (“You Got Anything Stronger”); New York Fashion Week designer Sergio Hudson; author Tarana Burke (“Unbound: My Story of Liberation and the Birth of the Me Too Movement”); author Evan Osnos (“Wildland”)

Tuesday, September 14— GMA’s Rise and Shine tour of America: New York; American gymnastics superstar Simone Biles; fashion stylist Joe Zee and Vogue.com editor Chioma Nnadi re-cap the Met Gala Red Carpet; Justice Stephen Breyer (“The Authority of the Court and the Peril of Politics”); a performance by the cast of Broadway’s The Lion King

Wednesday, September 15 – Actress Reese Witherspoon (“The Morning Show”); actress Diane Lane (“Y: The Last Man”); Deals and Steals with ABC e-commerce editor Tory Johnson

Thursday, September 16—Actress Brooke Shields; actress Jennifer Aniston (“The Morning Show”); GMA Book Club September author Calvin Kasulke (“Several People Are Typing”); a performance by Melissa Etheridge

Friday, September 17—Host B.J. Novak (“The Premise”); ESPN College GameDay preview; Deals and Steals with ABC e-commerce editor Tory Johnson; a performance by the cast of Broadway’s Hadestown

Saturday, September 18— Deals and Steals with ABC e-commerce editor Tory Johnson

– ABC –

[wintercat666]

Elizabeth Banks as Tori Breyer

Brightburn (2019)

[geek-gem]

That Brightburn Universe

As a heads up I made this on my phone. I decided to give it a title. Beware of spoilers from Brightburn if you haven’t seen the movie. But after watching Filmcomicsexplained’s video on the movie and thinking about my jokes about a universe. I wanted to make this. But also I wanted to give it a keep reading option so it doesn’t annoy people. Also since I put my thoughts about the kills. Forgot to mention @hawkofthenight99 and hope he doesn’t mind. Because he showed me the video and he might like in depth take on this idea. Including he’s one of the few people I’ve talked to about the film.

In all seriousness despite the joked. Including despite my mixed thoughts on Brightburn as a film. Watching/listening to Filmcomicsexplained's video of Brightburn reminded me of why I was very intrigued by the idea of a well darker DC universe.

Where it's basically a world of supers gone well super wrong. Even though with Brightburn being a horror film. I had this idea of the universe being a psychological look into what are basically parody versions of classic superheroes. But it's basically a what if universe.

Where Clark Kent instead of becoming Superman as a symbol of hope, a superhero. Became something much more villainous as what Brandon Breyer had become in Brightburn. That it's honestly a tragedy.

Such as the idea to make it less gloomy that the other Brightburn versions of popular superheroes aren't fully evil. But they are messed up in the head and need help. Such as if the death of Uncle Ben was too much for Peter Parker that he basically becomes in a way a Red Hood version of Spider-Man. Murdering criminals but still plagued by guilt and other emotions. That he believes what he's doing is the right thing.

With a Brightburn version of Batman because of what happened to his parents. Becomes sociopathic and truly believes in his cause. Where he has no problem with what he does to criminal empires. Despite how wrong it is. Compared to the Spider-Man of this universe who still had trouble with his emotions.

Including I've had this idea of Brightburn's Batman wanting to be a mentor to Brightburn's Spider-Man. Wanting to teach him to let go of the guilt but also use him as a way to kill Brandon Breyer. Because he views Brandon as like the ultimate evil. Basically a twisted version of Batman V Superman.

Also yes we have spoilers the witch that strangles people and the half man half sea creature referenced during the credits. Including the awesome fact that Super featuring The Crimson Bolt exists in this universe. A film I honestly really liked but might not be for everyone. I strangely wanna involve Frank Darbo somehow considering he's some what the start of this universe. Despite how tonally different Super is compared to Brightburn. I just find it amazing Frank exists in this universe.

Yet I will admit I just love the jokes that I've been thinking about. The idea that Brandon Breyer is a virgin and the Brightburn version of Darkseid is basically a Chad. Basically the virgin and Chad movie.

Where the Darkseid in this universe despite his hardships and how he could easily become this universe's embodiment of Satan. Decides of wanting to use his God like powers for the greater good. Which I've joked about him being a fusion if Jon Taffer, Gordon Ramsey, and Doomguy.

Including where Brightburn's Doomsday is despite being hidden from humanity by his parents because of the possibility of being taken away and killed. Including not looking very human. He's basically the kid that Tori and Kyle Breyer deserved. But also as a joke he's basically an immortal Big The Cat who doesn't like evil.

But yeah watching/listening to that video got me to remember my interest of this universe. Despite I was mixed on Brightburn. Because I'm glad Filmcomicsexplained shares the similar mindset of I do. In a way I was kind of expecting something like Joker 2019. Yet that was before Joker 2019 was released. But basically much more deeper and tragic. Because Brandon is a dark parallel to Clark Kent. A film version of what if Clark disregarded his humanity. Which is a concept that genuinely disturbs me because I like Superman as a character. Especially the DCEU version.

Now since I’m adding this while I’m in the drafts version of this on my main computer. Going to be honest, I felt uneasy and didn’t wanna see any death scenes shown in Filmcomicsexplained’s video. Except for the sheriff’s death which happens so quick but is still uneasy. But yeah because these kills just make me uneasy. Which sounds hypocritical considering I play games like Outlast, Resident Evil, and being fans of other things. But I think the reason why they make me uneasy is because again the concept of a Superman like character doing that. Besides I haven’t seen the film in a long time.

Even though I have other ideas like a Brightburn version of Joker. Basically something like if Arthur Fleck(yes that version) had a support system yet something happens along the way. Yet he's strangely a foil and an anti thesis to Brightburn's Batman. Where he makes again Brightburn's Batman question everything about what he's doing. But he won't kill Brightburn's Joker because he's not doing anything evil.

Just imagine a backwards version of that interrogation scene from The Dark Knight.

But I just wanna say this. Despite Brightburn being a horror film. I keep thinking if we make this a cinematic universe. To me I feel like it would be symbolic but also fitting. That it ends with Brandon's death. Whether to be killed by Brightburn's Doomsday or even Brightburn's Darkseid.

Basically as a twisted version of Zack Snyder's take of Superman. Instead about a villain who had done unspeakable things realizes how everything he's done has led him into enemies that show him he's no longer the super predator he was. Making him in a way regret everything evil thing he's done and making Brandon's end in a way tragic but also satisfying because he was basically the symbol and in a way a start to this universe. Despite the Crimson Bolt was.

I just wanted to make this and share my thoughts on this. Considering I was excited for the film but after it came out. I didn't really talk about it anymore. Just wanted to share my deep thoughts on it.

[kubrickstaring]

Spoiler review of Brightburn

"Brightburn" is a film that asks the question: what if Superman were evil? And it...doesn't do a great job of answering that question.

The movie focuses on Tori and Kyle Breyer, a young couple who are quite literally trying to get pregnant when something crashes into the woods outside their home. We don't see them discover the wreckage or the baby boy inside, because the film jumps ahead to when the boy, Brandon, is twelve years old. Brandon is a loner who starts getting telepathic messages from the spaceship he arrived in, which his parents keep locked in the family's barn. The ship repeats the same words over and over in a strange language, which Brandon eventually translates as "take the world". He begins acting strangely and eventually finds the ship, prompting his mom to tell him how they found him.

After this revelation, Brandon never questions where who he is, where he's from, or his purpose on earth. He just finds out he's not from here and immediately assumes he and his people are superior to all humans. He's kind of like England throughout history.

Brandon quickly begins killing people for the slightest reasons, and I mean the SLIGHTEST reasons. If the Panera Bread employee gave him an apple instead of chips by accident, they could expect to be dead within 24 hours. This killing spree has absolutely no motive besides "he's evil". He has no moral conflict about the fact that he was raised on this planet as a human and knows these people as his parents. His mother says he was always her "sweet boy" but we never see any evidence to that fact. If anything, the only side of this kid we see is an unlikable asshole. This kid is a one dimensional character with no redeeming qualities whatsoever, which is the exact opposite of Superman. Sure, that's what they were going for, but it's also bad writing.

Disappointingly, almost of the good scenes in the movie are shown in the trailers, so there aren't many surpises. The climax of the film is somehow anticlimactic AND predictable, so there's that.

Ultimately, the filmmakers relied on the Superman mythos too much and it weakened the story they were trying to tell. We don't get any explanations for anything, and some things just flat out don't make sense. In the Superman story, he is sent to Earth because his planet is being destroyed and his parents are trying to save their infant son. If Brandon's parents weren't trying to save his life, why send him to Earth? If they were trying to take over the planet, why not send an adult? Or an army? What advantage did they gain by having him grow up with human parents? Did they just need a babysitter for 12 years?

At the beginning of the film Brandon answers a question in class about the difference between wasps and bees, and how wasps force others to raise their young. Is that what Brandon's parents were doing? No idea, it's never mentioned again.

The movie had a good premise, but lazy execution. It could have been a much better and much more engaging story than it actually turned out to be. However, it did have some great gory deaths, which any horror fan can appreciate, and some pretty cool shots of Brandon using his powers. It's worth checking out, especially if you're a Superman fan who is familiar with his origin story.

Also, Brandon's cape-mask looks like an Ood from Doctor Who.

I can't be the only one who sees this.

Overall: 6.5/10

[themosleyreview]

The Mosley Review: Brightburn

For a moment, imagine if one of DC Comics' most powerful heroes ever created, decided to go the other direction. Imagine if instead of the brave, kind hearted, All American Hero we all knew growing up, turned evil and became one of the most terrifying and dangerous beings the world will ever know. It is something that has been brought up constantly in the Superman comics as something us humans feared. Well now here is a story of what those fears could look like and it was truly a fantastic experience. There are many shots and themes that perfectly mimic of Zack Snyder's Man of Steel and where they twist things into the other direction is where the film shines. The smart choice was to keep the story set during the formative years right on the cusp of puberty. It was not necessary to go into the adult years and it made this “what if” story better and drove home the great horror aspects. This of course is not a DC film adaptation of any kind, but it is something that I've wanted to see in a one shot comic spin-off for a very long time.

Elizabeth Banks can really do no wrong in my opinion and she nails all of the stress and dread as the adoptive mother Tori Breyer . Her warmth and genuine belief and denial was great and sad. David Denman was perfect as the adoptive dad Kyle Breyer and he is always great playing the every man. I easily equated them both to their DC counterparts Martha and Johnathan Kent and that was so much fun to watch. Jackson A. Dunn as Branden Breyer/Brightburn was outstanding and I loved seeing his transition from a sweet kid to a distant, impulsive, relentless and creepy murderous boy who quickly becomes devoid of any human feelings. There are times where his deliver certain words that make him all the chilling as you start to see the humanity he knew start to quickly slip away. He was truly fantastic.

The score by Timothy Williams was an excellent horror thriller score and kept me on the edge of my seat at times. I'm glad the film leaned heavily into the horror genre moments with excellent scares and perfectly horrific death scenes. There's one scene that I almost had to look away because it was so painful to watch and the visual choice for the scene was brilliantly executed and excruciating. I genuinely loved the direction this film went and it went as far as it needed to and I love that it was consistent. This is definitely one of my personal favorites of the year so far. Check this one out and stay for the great mid credits scene for it is awesome and a great Easter egg.

[adamwatchesmovies]

Brightburn (2019)

Brightburn is essentially a dark take on the Superman mythos, proving the superhero genre still has plenty to offer. It’s unsettling, it’s got tension and most of all, it’s just kind of a neat idea.

Tori and Kyle Breyer (Elizabeth Banks and David Denman) have been trying unsuccessfully to conceive when, one night, they find a baby boy inside a crashed spaceship near their farm. They adopt him as their own. Twelve years later, Brandon (Jackson A. Dunn) begins showing extraordinary abilities and unsettling tendencies.

I love the setup and the premise. One of the best ways to show what makes Superman special is to examine his evil duplicates. Whether it’s Bizarro, the Red Son version or - as this film most closely resembles - the Anti-Matter Universe’s Ultraman, they’re all intriguing. We’ve seen superheroes duke it out in a couple of movies but we’re sadists; we want to see what it would really be like if they went all-out and R-Rated with bones scorched dry and skulls caved in. That’s what Brightburn is. To a certain extent, it doesn’t matter that you kind of know where the movie is going from the beginning. You want to see the "how", not the "what". What will push Brandon to the edge and once he crosses the line, will the path to redemption still remain?

And this is where the film, unfortunately, doesn’t meet its potential. Brandon's reason to go psycho is just… way too simple. We live in a time where seemingly-ordinary people regularly lash out without warning and with deadly results. Brightburn could’ve stood for so much and instead, it’s depth stops at the premise. 

It could’ve been a horror film with a brain and instead it isn’t. If you are going in just to see uncensored superpowered carnage, you get it. In fact, the film might even be too gory because when someone is killed, they get mangled or shredded to the point where it oversimplifies the entire exercise. On the upside, it does make this story appropriately disturbing. Horror movies should leave unsettled and you will be. Even though Brandon’s parents can see right through his clumsy lies and even though the 12-year-old isn’t very world-savvy (a nice bit of dark humour), it doesn’t mean they can actually DO ANYTHING about his increasingly violent tendencies, which instills a sense of ever-increasing dread.

Brightburn is an intriguing subversion of the superhero genre but despite its dark and gruesome material, and the multiple scenes which will delight horror fans, you keep thinking there’s going to be more to it. The performances are quite good, with Elizabeth Banks, in particular standing out. I didn’t even recognize her until the end credits which, you should stay for as they include a scene possibly hinting at more to come. (Theatrical version on the big screen, May 25, 2019)

[thisguyatthemovies]

Burning not so brightly

Title: “Brightburn”

Release date: May 24, 2019

Starring: Jackson A. Dunn, Elizabeth Banks, David Denman, Matt Jones, Meredith Hagner, Gregory Alan Williams

Directed by: David Yarovesky

Run time: 1 hour, 31 minutes

Rated: R

What it’s about: A child from another planet crash-lands in Brightburn, Kansas, where he is raised by a farm couple, and upon adolescence discovers he has superpowers that he uses for evil instead of good.

How I saw it: It sounds like a great idea for a movie, because it is. What if a Superman-type character thrust into the same situation as the Man of Steel chooses to use his powers to take over his new home planet instead of saving it? That simple premise is awash with promise, and there is plenty of territory in Superman comic books and movies to explore. And, though it has been done in comics, such a twist on a superhero sounds refreshing given the formulaic nature of Marvel and DC movies.

But “Brightburn” -- directed by David Yarovesky (in his directorial debut), written by Brian Gunn and Mark Gunn, brother and cousin, respectively, of “Guardians of the Galaxy” director James Gunn, who produces here – takes a good idea and squanders it. It doesn’t aim to be a blockbuster superhero movie, with a budget of just $7 million, but that isn’t the problem. The problem is that it aims to be a low-budget slasher movie and too often settles for just that – a slasher movie that does not stray far from the proven formula and clichés. It could have been any number of horror movies that just so happens to have a Superman-like character in it.

Jackson A. Dunn plays Brandon, who arrived on Earth when his spaceship from another planet crash-landed in Kansas (this should sound familiar already). He is discovered by a farm couple, Tori (Elizabeth Banks) and Kyle (David Denman) Breyer, who had been trying to have children. They do what any couple would do. They decide to raise the child they know nothing about, conveniently hide his spaceship in a nearby barn cellar and lie to everyone by saying they adopted Brandon. What could possibly go wrong? Well, plenty.

The story gets going when Brandon turns 12, which often is when the trouble starts with boys not from another planet. He discovers he has superhuman strength. Then his spaceship starts calling to him and convinces him to “take the world.” Before long, he figures out the whole adoption thing was a lie. And in short order he becomes a sociopath, totally unfeeling toward even his own family.

You can guess what happens from here. Brandon is like an evil kid in a candy store with his newly discovered powers. He is empowered by being surrounded by the biggest bunch of idiots you can imagine, his “parents” topping the list of gullible potential victims. They, Tori’s sister Merilee (Meredith Hagner), her husband Noah (Matt Jones) and the stereotypical clueless sheriff (Gregory Alan Williams) either ignore what is obvious about the boy or write it off as just part of the growing-up process.

Banks, who is a better-than-average actress, fares the worst here. She prayed for Brandon to arrive (maybe not from another planet so much) and as such is going to stand behind him no matter how many people he gruesomely slaughters. Brandon is, and always will be, her baby boy, and she says that or something like it about 50 times in a not particularly long film. Denman’s character isn’t any smarter. Once he confronts Brandon, the boy flexes his muscle, slamming his adopted father into a wall. So, what does Kyle Breyer do? Drive the troubled boy out into a remote wooded area so that, you know, he can meet a terrible fate.

Why Brandon has chosen to be evil isn’t really explored, other than his spaceship talked him into it, and that’s a shame. It was the one thing the premise set up, but all we get is that Brandon is evil because Brandon can be evil. None of the usual superhero moral dilemma is present here. “Brightburn” can be viewed as an allegory about male privilege, but the filmmakers didn’t seem to be as interested in that as the body count. It is fun, in a weird way, to watch Brandon become like one of those “nice guys” on a Reddit thread. A girl in his class is nice to him when others are picking on him, so he starts stalking her, then breaks her hand when she calls him on his creepiness, then brings her flowers by showing up in her bedroom uninvited a second time, then murders her mother. They must have cut the scene where Brandon went on Reddit and asked, “What did I do wrong?”

“Brightburn” isn’t a total disaster. Dunn is quite good in his feature-film debut, exuding evil even when he isn’t performing evil acts. He does a good job of playing a confused adolescent boy who quickly realizes no one can stop him from doing whatever he wants. The gore, though there isn’t a lot of it by slasher film standards, is intense and on occasion gasp-worthy, with Jones’ character faring the worst. And, at a lean 91 minutes, it’s exactly half as long as the ridiculously lengthy “Avengers: Endgame,” and it would be nice to see more comic-book movies check in at less than 2 hours, even if this is a horror movie with a kind-of, sort-of connection to the comics. Because of its paltry budget, “Brightburn” will make money, and the ending leaves open the possibility of a sequel or cinematic universe.

But “Brightburn” overall is a disappointment. It is a movie that had a great idea and great potential but does not live up to either. Worse, it didn’t seem to try.

My score: 39 out of 100

Should you see it? Only if mediocre horror movies are your thing. Even then, it can wait for disc/streaming release.

[cinemasquall-blog]

Brightburn (2019)

Brightburn's concept is a breath of fresh air among the bombardment of formulaic superhero movie after superhero movie that's been found in theaters over the past 10 years.  What if a superman like being that fell from space and who was taken in and raised by an unassuming couple, gave into their most violent urges rather than fighting for the righteous causes of justice and hope?  Unfortunately, Brightburn squanders the potential of being an interesting take on aspects of the superhero genre we have not yet seen, and turns it into a senselessly violent and empty experience.

Elizabeth Banks and David Denman star as Tori and Kyle Breyer, the unsuspecting couple whose prayers of conceiving a child together have gone unanswered. Their prayers are seemingly answered one evening when a crash in the woods close to their residence is revealed to be some sort of alien aircraft with a child inside.  We're shown home video footage of a loving family - the boy found in the woods is now named Brandon, and his father wants him to grow up to be a farmer just like him.  This footage serves as a tired method of character development and covering events between the discovery of Brandon and when the rest of the movie takes place.

Flash forward 10 years and we find Brandon not paying attention in class, instead his attention is consumed by scribbling what looks like a crucified frog in his notebook.  His teacher, as they often do in the most telegraphed moments, notices he is not paying attention and calls on him, asking what the difference between bees and wasps are.  Brandon correctly answers her query, stating that bees are pollinators while wasps are predators, unsatisfied, he takes his answer a step further by adding that certain species of wasps are unable to build nests so they must attack and steal nests from other winged creatures.  This trite allusion, that only the most pseudo of intellectuals would find satiating, is the only hint the film ever lends to its most interesting question; where does Brandon come from and what might his motives be? 

Brightburn's script is a mind-numbing exercise in platitudes and fraught symbolism.  Tori and Kyle Breyer's most notable character traits are that they rattle off cliches often reserved for jokes about cliches at an incessant rate, and they are both naive to an alarming degree.  Plot developments happen in a frustrating fashion and events struggle to achieve any sense of importance. For instance, in the films only (albeit unintentional) comical moment, Brandon discovers he has super strength, and can't be harmed by things that would cause catastrophic injury to others while doing his afternoon chores.

The plot, script, and lack of any meaningful inspection of the ideas and concepts that are likely to have been the draw for audiences to see Brightburn would normally combine to make a bad film.  But Brightburn is more than just a bad film, it is a deeply troubling film.  The ability to tastefully depict violence in film is earned through smart story-telling, sympathetic characters, or a wacky over-the-top tone that borders on comical. Brightburn does none of these things, yet still unleashes a barrage of gruesome scene after gruesome scene.  In all of these scenes the violence is carried out by Brandon, a child, and the carnage left behind is comprised of only innocent victims.  I can only imagine it was the filmmakers hopes that film-goers would excuse such depraved displays and still feel compassion for Brandon, chalking up his actions as being a byproduct of the emotional whirlwind that is puberty and the revelation that he is from another planet.  While this explanation altogether is very weak on its own, it escaped the filmmakers that they themselves had blocked this flimsy route to compassion from being reached when they imbued Brandon's character with dangerous traits of toxic masculinity and beliefs that are shared with violent hate groups.  

It's hard to pinpoint redeemable qualities when the entire film is burdened with so many greatly defined flaws.  The few bright spots I can note are David Denman, Jackson A. Dunn, and Matt Jones performances. Jackson A. Dunn is effective with his performance of Brandon, which doesn't require much since the character shows minimal emotion throughout the entire film.  David Denman tries his hardest to bring some life to his character, Kyle Breyer, even with the script having him being nothing more than the culmination of a thousand awkward dad conversations. Matt Jones is great in his all-too-short five minutes of screen time as Brandon's uncle, Noah, who sees right through Brandon's facade of being an innocent pre-teen.

I wish I could end this review by simply saying Brightburn's lazy character archetypes, fumblingly empty script, and failure to follow up on any of its most intriguing ideas are the reasons why it fails so miserably.  But that doesn't feel like enough.  Today I planned on carrying out my first ever double feature at a cinema, and to come home and publish reviews for both.  I was excited, with the cinema as my oyster and this site my sword. But what should have been a brisk 90 minute film shattered this dream.  Brightburn ruined these plans when it assaulted my sensibilities, trying to pass garbage that should only be found in the minds of incels and alt-right sympathizers as a quality film.  And for that it can fuck right off.

Score: D-

[ramajmedia]

Brightburn: 10 Hidden Details Everyone Completely Missed

Brightburn is a really good film, but part of what makes it so special and unique is the fact that it takes the story of Superman and turns it completely upside down. While it is not technically about Superman, there are lots of connections to his story.

This movie is a visual treat, and it is full of interesting little details, such as the fact that one of the scenes was actually filmed at an old Hardee’s location. The building is actually pretty easy to recognize, and lots of fans have pointed it out, but there are many details that went unnoticed in this film. Here are just a few of them.

RELATED: Handmaid’s Tale: 10 Hidden Details About The Costumes You Didn’t Notice

10 One Scene Was A Reference To A Comic Book Cover

One of the most important scenes in the film has a shot in it that is a direct visual reference to a comic book cover. Superman first appeared in a comic book called Action Comics No. 1.

The cover of this comic book is very iconic, and it shows him lifting a vehicle up in the air to save a pedestrian. In Brightburn, this image is referenced when Brandon’s Uncle, Noah, is in his truck.

While Brandon is off-camera, Noah’s vehicle is being lifted into the air while he screams. This scene is awesome, since even those who are not familiar with Superman’s story can appreciate it.

9 It Shares One Similarity With Other Recent Films

While Brandon Beyer is not technically Superman, Clark Kent, or the Man of Steel, he does share some of that character’s superpowers. Both characters have something called heat vision, which is a very important detail.

Superman has blasted his heat vision many times, and so has Brandon. Superman can be seen using this ability in the movies Superman v Batman: Dawn Of Justice and Justice League. But this is also where they differ a bit, since Brandon often hangs out in the dark with his glowing red eyes and Superman never does.

8 Brandon’s Symbol Is Similar To Other Symbols

The symbol Brandon keeps drawing in the film resembles the symbol that can be seen in another movie as well, and it’s not related to Clark Kent at all. He draws this emblem many times, and he often leaves it somewhere when he commits a crime, which is part of the reason why Tori Breyer finds out that he was responsible for so many terrible things.

But a similar symbol can be seen in a manga called Berserk, which is known for its’ brutal violence and downright creepiness. Fans might notice that there is another similar emblem in a comic book called Nameless.

7 He Destroyed A Plane

While Superman does not think twice before saving an airplane full of people, Brandon Breyer would prefer to destroy the whole thing, including the passengers that are on it. After the main character in the movie murders his mother by dropping her from the sky, he discovers that an airplane is heading in his direction.

RELATED: Star Trek: 10 Hidden Details About The Main Characters Of DS9

The next thing viewers see is the remnants of a plane that hit the Breyer family’s house. This implies that Brandon caused the plane to crash. It appears that there are no survivors (other than Brandon, of course). This movie does an excellent job of showing how terrifying a superbeing can be if they don’t like humans.

6 Caitlyn Is A Writer, Like Lois

Lois Lane liked to write about justice, and so does another Brightburn character named Caitlyn. Caitlyn can actually be seen writing an essay in one of the scenes of the movie.

Fans who pay a great deal of attention during that scene might have noticed that the essay she was working on was called “The Decline of Truth and Justice in the Modern World,” which is certainly something Lois would have been interested in writing. While Brandon and Caitlyn obviously don’t love each other, their relationship is a nice reference to the relationship Superman shares with Lois Lane.

5 The Color Red Means Something

Colors are always important in movies, and Brightburn is no different since it seems to be a symbol the changes Brandon goes through throughout the film. The red color in this character’s costume increases as the movie progresses, which probably symbolizes how evil he is becoming with every passing second.

In the beginning of the film, Brandon wears more shades of blue than red. But as he begins to change when he realizes the truth about his origin, his clothes become a lot more red, which represents the fact that there is nothing but evilness in him by the time the movie ends.

4 He Is Similar To The Insects That Fascinate Him

Throughout this film, it’s very obvious that Brandon really likes insects, and which is potentially because he finds that there are a lot of similarities between them and himself. Brightburn actually puts a lot of focus on this, since the film shows bugs very frequently, and there is even a scene where Brandon describes the difference between wasps and bees while he is at school.

RELATED: Wet Hot American Summer: 10 Hidden Details About The Main Characters Everyone Missed

Sometimes it seems as though Brandon can relate more to the insects he is fascinated with than to human beings. But that actually does make some sense. He might not be an insect, but Brandon is far from being a human as well.

3 Brandon Dissected One Of The Characters

Brandon dissects another character, and it is a very brutal thing that actually happens off-camera. Caitlyn is definitely a character fans should feel bad for in this film, since she has so many unfortunate things happen to her.

Caitlyn becomes scared of Brandon after he appears in her bedroom, and then he hurts her at school. After that, Brandon goes after the little girl’s mother, Erica. He makes a lightbulb burst in Erica’s face, but that’s nothing compared to what he does to her after that. At a later point in the film, viewers see that he actually dissected her, which showed just how evil he can be.

2 Brandon Shares His Name With An Actor Who Played Superman

There are lots of references to the Man of Steel in Brightburn, and perhaps one of them is the main character’s first name. No, his name might not be Clark or Superman, but it is Brandon, which is the same first name as one of the actors who played the famous superhero in a movie.

Actor Brandon Routh portrayed the superbeing in the 2006 film Superman Returns. While the movie was not terrible, no sequels were made after it came out, despite the fact that the movie had a star-studded cast. Some of the other cast members were actor James Marsden and actress Kate Bosworth.

1 One Of The Sets Can Also Be Seen In Stranger Things

If the school in this movie looks familiar, that is because it was also used in the first two seasons of Stranger Things. In real life, this building is located in Stockbridge, Georgia, and it was also once used as an actual school, which is what makes it the perfect location for filming things like this.

The name of this former school was Patrick Henry High School. The school had a lot of mold in it, so it was closed down a few years ago, but that obviously didn’t stop anyone from wanting to film there. The students who were attending that school when it got shut down were moved over to another school in the area.

NEXT: Game Of Thrones: 10 Hidden Details You Missed In The Episode Battle Of The Bastards

source https://screenrant.com/brightburn-hidden-details-easter-eggs/

[variedgarden]

i went to see brightburn and gOOD GODDAMN.

that shit was so good.

when i come off of this hiatus i am gonna add tori breyer and possibly brandon breyer to my muse list, for sure !!

[ronniemarkellpodcast]

A Sinister Super Villain emerges in BRIGHTBURN Article by Ronnie Gorham

In life, most parents hope to raise a child who becomes a doctor, lawyer, or at best a decent human being. In the horror/supervillain story BRIGHTBURN produced by James Gunn along with writers Mark Gunn and Brian Gunn, that doesn’t happen in the slightest bit. Imagine adopting a kid who crashes from space, raising them, and then discover they’re a demon spawn with powers who might ignite the end of the world?  It’s puberty gone to hell and we’re brought along for the ride. But does BRIGHTBURN shine bright or dim out before the end credits?

BRIGHTBURN

The film follows a loving farming couple named Tori (Elizabeth Banks) and Kyle Breyer (David Denman). They’ve been trying to have a child for quite some time and have had zero luck. One chance night a spacecraft lands in the woods near their home and like how most horror flicks start, they decide to go check it out. They find a small baby boy that they don’t question at all and decide to raise him as their own. (And that’s where their nightmare begins) 

Photo Credit: Sony Pictures Entertainment

The first eleven years of the family’s lives are spent with camping trips, fun times, and a cool family dynamic. But on Brandon’s twelfth birthday that’s when weird occurrences start to happen when the space ship the parents had hidden in the barn begins calling out to him. (Why they didn’t destroy the ship, to begin with, no one knows) A short time after Brandon begins to discover his super abilities and that’s when things start to get a little uncomfortable, for everyone else. The Gunn’s script does a tremendous job with the pacing and building the story up to the terrible events that begin to unfold around the small town.

Photo Credit: Sony Pictures Entertainment

The film does an excellent job of taking the superhero trope you're used to and slapping you in the face with it. It takes all the things you’d expect in a superhero build up and does the opposite with it. The acting by all parties involved is pretty solid all around.  And, you feel like young Brandon is growing up in a small town that would make the fictional town of Smallville proud.

The Epitome of Evil

Whether you’ve seen BRIGHTBURN or you haven’t, I think there’s a bit of confusion about this being called a superhero genre story. In fact, there’s nothing superheroic about anything that Brandon does within this film. Unless you call crushing a classmates hand or walking around terrorizing waitresses in a creepy mask that looks like something out of the horror film THE STRANGERS, superhero worthy. Our antagonist Brandon Breyer (Jackson A. Dunn) in this film never saves anyone or has any intentions on doing so. What David Yarovesky, Brian Gunn, and Mark Gunn have come up with is a menacingly good concept for a supervillain horror story.

Photo Credit: Sony Pictures Entertainment

Jackson A. Dunn gives a fantastic performance as the puberty prone good kid turned super-powered sociopath. But, it would have been nice if his character had a bit more meaning behind his actions of just turning evil overnight and being a complete dick to the people who raised him. The only element of his super-powered abilities that I think the Gunn’s should have touched on more were his weaknesses. Every hero or villain has them and they’re not explored at all in the film other than Brandon cutting himself on his ship.

The Vision of Yarovesky

Director David Yarovesky(The Hive) does a terrific job at directing some very intense moments in BRIGHTBURN. Some of the coolest parts of the film are obliviously when Brandon is up to his devious tactics and Yarovesky embraces them with ease. From broken bones to shards of glass in a woman's eyeball, Yarovesky makes each terrifying scene a memorable one. 

Photo Credit: Sony Pictures Entertainment

Overall, BRIGHTBURN is an incredible supervillain flick with some truly grueling moments. The Kansas like setting felt real and Yarovesky puts the camera directly where it needs to be at every beat of the film. The script was pretty decent and the ending definitely leaves the film debatable for a sequel or prequel of sorts. It’s ultimately worth checking out, especially if you’re a fan of both horror and comic book movies.

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[delayedcritique]

BRIGHTBURN REVIEW

“A gory superhero story with little to no substance.”

BY COLLIN DELADE

The DC Cinematic Universe has tried and failed to implement the legendary INJUSTICE storyline in 2017’s JUSTICE LEAGUE. An evil, violent Superman with a nearly unlimited amount of power, can make for a disturbing adaptation. Unfortunately, the DCEU is currently without a Superman while their brand also reflecting a family-friendlier approach. The little reference we saw in JUSTICE LEAGUE was bare-boned to the expansive and disturbing story. As the big budget superhero franchise is growing more distant from the INJUSTICE storyline, the low budget BRIGHTBURN can replicate the story and concept only without the naming of the characters.

BRIGHTBURN is the latest superhero movie that sets out to be the first entry in the genre to entirely go gory and disturbing storytelling. Brandon Breyer (Jackson A. Dunn) crash lands on Earth as a young baby from a superior alien world. The Breyers take in Brandon as their own and becomes his adopted human parents. When Brandon comes into his powers and receives urges to take over Earth, it’s up to his parents, Tori (Elizabeth Banks) and Kyle (David Denman), to stop him.

Anyone familiar with SUPERMAN clearly identifies how much BRIGHTBURN is taking from the Kryptonian's origin story. From the farmer parents to the alien spaceship representing his past life, BRIGHTBURN unapologetically is an off-brand, SUPERMAN. This concept of taking this story down a darker path is genius for fans looking for a mature version of the material. On paper, BRIGHTBURN appears to be a significant success.

The entire cast in BRIGHTBURN is very top notch. The Breyer family, especially, has very talented actors to bring the characters to life. Banks, Denman, and Dunn all perform excellently as a dysfunctional family unit. Everyone involved, from significant to minor roles, are giving their all with this material.

The violence is also a strong point with BRIGHTBURN. With the unstoppable powers of strength, flight, and laser vision, director David Yarovesky goes in every possible direction with the gore in this movie. Brandon’s strength is perfectly showcased as someone who truly can defeat everyone that comes in his way.

Unfortunately, the unstoppable force of Brandon’s power leads to the biggest problem of the film. There is absolutely no motivation to follow Brandon when there is no one to counter him. Physically, he is the only character shown with these powers. Mentally, Brandon shows zero compassion for anyone in his life. As he reveals to have little remorse for any of his actions or how others think of him, he is just a monotone evil kid with little motivation besides to take over the world.

BRIGHTBURN has one major element missing that would have made the whole movie instantly better; give Brandon a great reason to wear his mask. Literally, there is no reason or purpose for Brandon to wear a mask. The point of a character wearing a mask is to either hide their identity or allow more flexibility with their actions without any consequences. Brandon rejects both these explanations; he doesn’t have an identity to protect, and he is willing to act violent and sinister with or without the mask. Brandon’s mask needs to be more than just a disturbing visual.

Picture the world of BRIGHTBURN to exist with superheroes in pop culture. Brandon is influenced by other off-brand fictional heroes and villains while he grew up. When Brandon learns about his powers, he uses them as an irresponsible kid would do; to show off to his classmates. Brandon initially doesn’t use a mask so his classmate can identify him. As he receives more attention, his ego goes to his head as he becomes more and more destructive. Once he loses his popularity, he grows into a power-hungry creep. The mask can indicate his turn from cocky little kid to an unstoppable evil force of nature. Unfortunately, the actual movie has zero substance involving its story and characters.    

There is very little reason to take the time to see BRIGHTBURN, even considering its creative and disturbing gore. With absolutely zero attention to the stakes or character development, BRIGHTBURN ends up as a brainless gore-fest that its best elements will easily be uploaded on YouTube within the year. While nearly every other aspect is substantial, a terrible script and meaningless stakes completely derail it from any lasting enjoyment.

5/10