Brightburn
A long-awaited son becomes a superpowered predator, turning an idyllic Kansas family into the battleground of a bleak anti-superhero nightmare.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Graphic
- bleak
- foreboding
- visceral
- late night horror
- dark superhero marathon
What critics said
Critics generally found the premise and occasional black comedy effective but considered the film underdeveloped, insufficiently stylized, and uneven in its execution.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Brandon's arrival, adolescence, powers, and public emergence echo a superhero origin while positioning him as a dangerous villain.
Tori and Kyle's long-awaited family is transformed from a source of fulfillment into a threat to everyone around them.
Brandon's puberty and seemingly innocent curiosity coexist with increasingly violent urges and superhuman power.
The Breyers' countryside life and Kansas community frame Brandon's transformation into a destructive superpowered presence.
Films like Brightburn, and why
The Omen
shares horror built around a superpowered child, domestic dread, and the corruption of family innocence
The Good Son
shares a grounded rural setting, violent supernatural escalation, and a child whose powers make adults helpless
Chronicle
shares a dark subversion of superhero mythology, graphic violence, and a morally monstrous superpowered figure
Movie Details
- Director
- David Yarovesky
- Release Date
- 2019-05-09
- Runtime
- 91 min
- Rating
- 6.2 / 10 (3628)
Cast
- Jackson A. Dunn
- Elizabeth Banks
- David Denman
- Matt Jones
- Meredith Hagner
- Becky Wahlstrom
- Emmie Hunter
- Gregory Alan Williams
- Annie Humphrey
- Abraham Clinkscales
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Sony Pictures Core Amazon Channel
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Plex
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Brightburn about?
- A long-awaited son becomes a superpowered predator, turning an idyllic Kansas family into the battleground of a bleak anti-superhero nightmare.
- What is Brightburn like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Brightburn as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Brightburn violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in Brightburn as graphic.
- What did critics think of Brightburn?
- Critics generally found the premise and occasional black comedy effective but considered the film underdeveloped, insufficiently stylized, and uneven in its execution.
- Which films are like Brightburn?
- Films with a similar feel include The Omen, The Good Son, and Chronicle.
- How long is Brightburn?
- Brightburn runs 91 minutes.
- Where can I watch Brightburn?
- In United States, Brightburn streams on Sony Pictures Core Amazon Channel.
