Brightburn Synopsis & Review: Plot Summary

🎯 Quick Overview

😅 Plot Summary – Badly Explained

Evil Superman adopts parents, then decides they’re not good enough and becomes a masked menace with laser eyes who has trouble with girls.

🍿 Brightburn: Detailed Plot Synopsis

The Arrival

Tori and Kyle Breyer, living on a farm in Brightburn, Kansas, struggle with infertility. One night, a spaceship crashes nearby, and they discover a baby boy inside. They decide to raise him as their own, naming him Brandon.

Emergence of Powers

As Brandon approaches puberty, he begins to exhibit strange abilities – superhuman strength, invulnerability, and laser vision. He also starts hearing a mysterious voice urging him to embrace his power. His behavior becomes increasingly erratic and disturbing.

Dark Urges

Brandon’s dark side emerges as he begins acting on twisted urges. He crushes a classmate’s hand after she embarrasses him and starts stalking a girl he’s infatuated with. His parents become increasingly concerned about his behavior.

Escalation of Violence

Brandon’s violence escalates as he murders a diner waitress and his uncle. He leaves behind a mysterious symbol at each crime scene. His parents grow increasingly fearful and desperate to stop him.

⚠️ Spoilers and Ending Explained

🎬 Cast & Characters

• Brandon Breyer (Jackson A. Dunn): An alien child raised on Earth who develops terrifying superpowers and embraces a sinister destiny.
• Tori Breyer (Elizabeth Banks): Brandon’s adoptive mother who desperately tries to believe in the good within him despite his increasingly violent actions.
• Kyle Breyer (David Denman): Brandon’s adoptive father who grows increasingly fearful of his son and attempts to protect his family and community.
• Erica (Jennifer Holland): Caitlyn’s mother and a diner waitress who becomes one of Brandon’s early victims after suspecting his dangerous nature.
• Noah McNichol (Matt Jones): Kyle’s close friend and Brandon’s uncle who is brutally murdered by Brandon after trying to warn Kyle about him.

💬 Memorable Quotes

• Brandon Breyer: “Who am I?” – Brandon asks this question as he begins to discover his powers and his alien nature.
• Tori Breyer: “You’re our son.” – Tori answers Brandon, trying to reassure him of his place in their family despite his growing strangeness.
• Brandon Breyer: “Take the world.” – This is the message Brandon hears from the alien spaceship, driving him to embrace his destructive potential.
• Tori Breyer: “You are a blessing.” – Tori desperately tries to connect with Brandon and appeal to any remaining goodness within him before attempting to stop him.

💰Box Office

• Budget: $6,000,000
• Domestic Gross: $17,300,439
• Worldwide Gross: $33,224,654

💥 Brightburn Reviews

Personal Review

I remember seeing the trailer and being instantly hooked by the idea of an evil Superman. ‘Brightburn’ definitely delivers on the horror aspect, and those moments where Brandon unleashes his powers are genuinely terrifying. Elizabeth Banks gives a great performance as the conflicted mother. I just wish they had delved deeper into Brandon’s motivations; it felt like it could have been something truly special. Still, as a dark, twisted take on the superhero origin story, it’s worth a watch.

• Who would enjoy:
  • “Fans of horror movies with a superhero twist”
  • “Viewers interested in subverted superhero narratives”
  • “Audiences who enjoy dark and violent films”
• Content warnings ⚠:
  • “Graphic violence and gore”
  • “Disturbing content”
  • “Strong language”
  • “Teenage characters in peril”

Professional Reviews

• Variety: “A compelling concept that struggles with pacing, ‘Brightburn’ delivers effective scares and gore, but ultimately skimps on character development, leaving viewers wanting more depth and complexity.
• The Hollywood Reporter: “‘Brightburn’ offers a dark and intriguing twist on the superhero genre, but is ultimately hindered by a predictable plot and underutilized potential. While the performances are solid, the film lacks the emotional resonance needed to fully engage its audience.
• IGN: “A gleefully nasty horror film that has a great premise but doesn’t quite live up to it. It does, however, provide some excellently gory moments.

Audience Reactions

Viewers loved the dark twist on the classic Superman story.: The movie’s unique concept and shocking violence were praised by many.

Fans enjoyed Elizabeth Banks’ compelling performance.: The performances were solid despite thin character development.

Overall Consensus: ‘Brightburn’ offers an intriguing but flawed take on the superhero genre, delivering effective horror elements but lacking depth in character development and story.

Awards

🛠️ Behind the Scenes

• “The film is produced by James Gunn and written by his brother Brian and cousin Mark Gunn.”
• “The film is a dark twist on the Superman origin story, exploring what would happen if a child with similar powers was evil instead of good.”
• “The middle school scenes were shot at the now-defunct Patrick Henry High School in Stockbridge, Georgia, which was also used for Hawkins Middle and Hawkins High Schools in Stranger Things.”

🖥️ How to Watch Brightburn?

Brightburn is available to rent or purchase on various platforms including Prime Video, Apple TV, Google Play Movies, and Vudu. Check your local listings for streaming options and availability.

🎥 Similar Movies

If you enjoyed Brightburn, you might like these similar films:

• Chronicle (2012): Explores the darker side of gaining superpowers as teenagers, with a found-footage approach.
• The Omen (1976): Deals with the Antichrist in the form of a young boy, creating a similar sense of dread and horror.
• Super (2010): Another James Gunn superhero film, Super explores more violent vigilante action.
• Man of Steel (2013): Shares a similar origin story and themes with Superman but with a dark twist, showing the potential for destruction rather than heroism.

🛒 Brightburn Related Products

• Brightburn (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack): Relive the suspense with the original soundtrack, featuring haunting scores that amplify the movie’s atmosphere.
• Brightburn Poster: A high-quality print featuring iconic imagery from the film, perfect for displaying your fandom.
• Funko Pop! Movies: Brightburn – Brandon Breyer Masked: A stylized collectible figure of Brandon Breyer with mask, capturing the character’s dark essence.
• Brightburn Blu-ray: The movie on Blu-ray. Add it to your movie collection.

🎧 Soundtrack

Brightburn features a captivating soundtrack that enhances the movie’s atmosphere and emotional impact. Here are some notable tracks:

• “bad guy” – performed by Billie Eilish
• “Fireflies in a Steel Mill” – performed by The Elected

You can find the complete soundtrack on Amazon Music and Apple Music.

🤨 FAQ

🔥 Bonus Content

5 Ways to Beat Brightburn

Calling all superhero strategists! This video offers intriguing ideas on how to overcome the seemingly unstoppable Brightburn. I found it fascinating, especially the part about exploiting his weakness to sound.

The Ending Of Brightburn Explained

If you’re like me and wondered what the heck went down at the end of Brightburn, this video breaks it down and makes sense of it all. It’s like having a private movie tutor!

Brightburn Is A Sequel – Let Me Explain

Hold on tight because this video might just blow your mind! The creator explores a theory that Brightburn is secretly connected to another movie. It’s a wild ride that’ll make you question everything you thought you knew.

✨ Rate