BrightBurn Discussion Thread (James Gunn, Elizabeth Banks, Memorial Day)

[daemonova]

shyt I ain't even seen end game. Might do a double feature. Zilla I may check out idk tho. These big blockbusters arent doing much for me anymore.

Once the marvel movies started coming out earlier, that took all the air out the market, wb delayed wonder woman until next year because they didn't have a big film coming out next summer, guess they didn't want it taking away from Godzilla, film already finished

 

[Apollo Kid]

Seeing it tonight after work.

 

[Jello Biafra]

I liked it.
Could have used a bit more time showing the years between The Breyers finding Brandon and when the movie really starts getting going but overall it was a quality flick.
That actor playing Brandon pulled off all the detached creepy capriciousness of a budding child sociopath and the way he was basically "pulling the wings off of butterflies" only the butterflies were people.
And the callbacks to Man of Steel were cool...I am not sure if The Gunn Brothers loved or hated MoS but they have a deeply held opinion one way or the other for sure based on this movie.

 

[NobodyReally]

I liked it.
Could have used a bit more time showing the years between The Breyers finding Brandon and when the movie really starts getting going but overall it was a quality flick.
That actor playing Brandon pulled off all the detached creepy capriciousness of a budding child sociopath and the way he was basically "pulling the wings off of butterflies" only the butterflies were people.
And the callbacks to Man of Steel were cool...I am not sure if The Gunn Brothers loved or hated MoS but they have a deeply held opinion one way or the other for sure based on this movie.

Agreed. I would have liked to have seen a bit more of the in between and maybe some foreshadowing. I also get the critics who are saying there should have been more character development would have made it a richer story but at the end of the day it's a horror movie. We like monsters with no real motive. Makes his power that much terrifying.

I really enjoyed this, a lot more than I thought I would. The deaths were unapologetic and gruesome and there was something thrilling about that being done by a kid like this. Maybe it it was because my expectations were low going in but I was entertained.

I'd give it like a 7.5 out of 10.

 

[daemonova]

it was cool, a bit gory

 

[MartyMcFly]

Agreed. I would have liked to have seen a bit more of the in between and maybe some foreshadowing. I also get the critics who are saying there should have been more character development would have made it a richer story but at the end of the day it's a horror movie. We like monsters with no real motive. Makes his power that much terrifying.

I really enjoyed this, a lot more than I thought I would. The deaths were unapologetic and gruesome and there was something thrilling about that being done by a kid like this. Maybe it it was because my expectations were low going in but I was entertained.

I'd give it like a 7.5 out of 10.

And see I wanted that character exploration although I understand why it wasn’t there and kinda didn’t need to be there. What would’ve made it better tho, is some exploration of the parents at least. Definitely Elizabeth banks’ character. Establish the relationship between mom and son a bit more.

But like I said earlier, it’s just a nihilistic flick and that’s why it missed me. Pretty much the same reason rob zombies Halloween flicks miss me. Maybe if I see it in a different state of mind, it would work for me

 

[NobodyReally]

And see I wanted that character exploration although I understand why it wasn’t there and kinda didn’t need to be there. What would’ve made it better tho, is some exploration of the parents at least. Definitely Elizabeth banks’ character. Establish the relationship between mom and son a bit more.

But like I said earlier, it’s just a nihilistic flick and that’s why it missed me. Pretty much the same reason rob zombies Halloween flicks miss me. Maybe if I see it in a different state of mind, it would work for me

No, I totally feel you. There was another movie here that didn't get made, you can see glimpses of it, and then the movie just completely abandons the potential of developing that story. I enjoyed it, but I definitely think I would have loved the story they didn't tell even more. Sometimes, I wonder if writers abandon character development because they can't really imagine how to hold empathy and horror at the same time. It's really difficult to completely develop a character and then destroy their world or have them destroy others, but when it happens, it's amazing. Missed opportunity for sure.

 

[MartyMcFly]

No, I totally feel you. There was another movie here that didn't get made, you can see glimpses of it, and then the movie just completely abandons the potential of developing that story. I enjoyed it, but I definitely think I would have loved the story they didn't tell even more. Sometimes, I wonder if writers abandon character development because they can't really imagine how to hold empathy and horror at the same time. It's really difficult to completely develop a character and then destroy their world or have them destroy others, but when it happens, it's amazing. Missed opportunity for sure.

I think they either feel they can’t handle it for that long or it takes away from their aim. The best slashers, and this is a slasher, develop character and relationships so when the body’s start dropping, there’s empathy. Halloween doesn’t work if Laurie, Annie, and Linda are faceless fodder. And since this movie really wasn’t focused on developing Brandon, you could easily shift that to the people around him. Much like carpenter and Debra hill did with Halloween. Of course that’s an unfair comparison but it shows it’s possible

 

[Jello Biafra]

And see I wanted that character exploration although I understand why it wasn’t there and kinda didn’t need to be there. What would’ve made it better tho, is some exploration of the parents at least. Definitely Elizabeth banks’ character. Establish the relationship between mom and son a bit more.

But like I said earlier, it’s just a nihilistic flick and that’s why it missed me. Pretty much the same reason rob zombies Halloween flicks miss me. Maybe if I see it in a different state of mind, it would work for me

See I didn't get nihilism for nihilism's sake from Brightburn as much as I got cliched horror from it. You know the kind where the victims of the killer are paper thin and you can tell that the folks behind the film don't really think those character require much in the way of fleshing out because the focus for them is on the killer and just how cool his kills are going to be.
And sometimes I am all for a movie just being as basic in it's intentions as this movie so obviously set out to be.

 

[Jello Biafra]

No, I totally feel you. There was another movie here that didn't get made, you can see glimpses of it, and then the movie just completely abandons the potential of developing that story. I enjoyed it, but I definitely think I would have loved the story they didn't tell even more. Sometimes, I wonder if writers abandon character development because they can't really imagine how to hold empathy and horror at the same time. It's really difficult to completely develop a character and then destroy their world or have them destroy others, but when it happens, it's amazing. Missed opportunity for sure.

In the hands of a better director and with the idea fleshed out more this could have been a classic.
I still enjoyed it for what it was but I couldn't help but think what it could have been in the hands of a director like Alex Garland (ANNIHILATION, EX MACHINA).

 

[kdslittlebro]

There a good screener out there? This is one of the first movies in ages that I’m interested enough in, but not enough to pay for

 

[MartyMcFly]

See I didn't get nihilism for nihilism's sake from Brightburn as much as I got cliched horror from it. You know the kind where the victims of the killer are paper thin and you can tell that the folks behind the film don't really think those character require much in the way of fleshing out because the focus for them is on the killer and just how cool his kills are going to be.
And sometimes I am all for a movie just being as basic in it's intentions as this movie so obviously set out to be.

Yeah the nihilism thing hit me in the ending.

 

[Jello Biafra]

Yeah the nihilism thing hit me in the ending.

Oh I totally get it if the ending was specifically what you were talking about.

 

[Apollo Creed]

is there an after credit scene? want to know if I should stay afterwards

 

[MartyMcFly]

Oh I totally get it if the ending was specifically what you were talking about.

Yup just the ending lol. It was zombies Halloween 2