Quartile rating: 6.5/10 · 1 rating
What if a child from another world crash-landed on Earth, but instead of becoming a hero to mankind, he proved to be something far more sinister?
Brightburn earns genuine marks for its high-concept premise — a dark inversion of the Superman origin story — which is executed with enough sincerity to feel distinctive rather than merely gimmicky. The novelty of fusing superhero mythology with body-horror and slasher conventions is its strongest asset. The cinematography is competent rural-gothic work, establishing dread effectively without being visually inventive. The acting, particularly Elizabeth Banks as the mother in denial, is solid but uneven. The plot setup is strong but the middle sags into predictable horror beats once the concept is established. The ending fumbles the landing, opting for shock over meaningful payoff and leaving threads dangling in a way that feels unresolved rather than tantalisingly open.