Brightburn is a "what if" horror film that subverts the classic Superman origin story. Instead of a benevolent hero, the story follows Brandon Breyer, an alien child crashing to Earth who uses his developing god-like powers to terrorize his small Kansas town. Summary of Expert & Audience Reviews
Reviewers from sites like Bloody Disgusting highlighted the film's "stomach-churning" and "creative" gore effects, noting it fully embraces its R-rating.
Elizabeth Banks and David Denman received positive marks for their roles as the struggling adoptive parents, though critics were divided on Jackson A. Dunn’s portrayal of the sinister child. Final Verdict
Many experts, including those at Variety and Roger Ebert , felt the film was a "missed opportunity." They noted a lack of character development, citing that Brandon's shift from sweet to evil felt too abrupt and was driven more by external "mind control" than internal conflict.
The film generally received mixed reviews, holding a on Rotten Tomatoes and a 44/100 on Metacritic .
Critics widely praised the "evil Superman" concept as a fresh and terrifying bridge between the superhero and slasher genres.
Brightburn is recommended for fans of who enjoy seeing superhero tropes deconstructed. However, viewers looking for a deep psychological character study or a complex plot may find it "repetitive" or "thin". Brightburn (2019)