Brightburn

Pretty much what I expected.

I'd be seriously surprised if DC has not had an evil Superman Elseworlds story, and I actually haven't read Red Son but I'm sure it's not an evil Superman story. This isn't entirely either, which I actually like that they build their own mythos and do their own thing. So our story takes place in what I am almost certain is Kansas where a couple who have been wanting a baby get delivered one from the stars themselves, 10 years pass by and the boy named Brandon (I'm not sure whether to be honored or not about that) is a very smart and kind boy. But his 12th birthday arrives and things start to go amiss, he's drawn to an ominous glow in their barn, starts acting narcissistic, and begins to learn about his powers from then on. Which is something I really like, how his powers suddenly hit when he's 12 years old instead of the Smallville route where they develop and grow over time. Another aspect I enjoyed and actually really wanted more of is his backstory, cause the way he turns evil seems more like a possesion thing with strange voices and him being drawn to the craft that crashed on Earth. More so it takes on a nature vs. nurture stance where he's not an evil kid who wants to do evil things but is more something part of his genetics like a blood rage where he lusts for death and destruction. It gets pretty screwed up, but I just wanted to know more about where he came from. Jackson Dunn does a good job and so does his mom played by Elizabeth Banks, I mean she acts her heart out and he can be both sweet and intimidating. The dad on the other hand kinda sucks both in performance and story, not Tommy Wiseau levels but he just doesn't seem very interested in the story and it suffers because of that. It's a family drama with horror elements in it, and the drama is handled adequately however the horror is lackluster. This is a scary story before he starts raising hell, you can build such an incredible atmosphere of mood and dread because you know this is gonna go south and they could have built suspense as to where you think he'll finally snap. But no. Have a movie full of jumpscares and a few somewhat effectively creepy shots. Christ, I wasn't expecting nail biting fear or moments I would be quaking in my chair but give me something! You have a creative and possibly truly unnerving movie ut then you just throw cheap shock scares that do precisely dick for the overall quality of the movie. It's shot quite well with some Man Of Steel style shots thrown in, and there is one shot that made me just go, "Ooooh shi-" but it's not scary. Granted I kinda love the design of his costume, with this weird Cthulu-esque stitching around the mouth and nose of the hood, the tattered red cape, the glowing red eyes, even though honestly and I'm such a nerd for saying this, but it just reminded me of Hooded Justice from Watchmen. That's not a bad thing, it's just what I see. So did I like the movie? Sure, it has an interesting premise and I could see people enjoying it but at the same time I just wanted more in certain aspects. 2.5 stars, 6/10, rent it if you're curious and want to see a severely dark superhero or villain movie.