Brightburn
Brightburn is a 2019 American superhero horror film directed by David Yarovesky and written by Brian and Mark Gunn.
Brightburn is a 2019 American superhero horror film directed by David Yarovesky and written by Brian and Mark Gunn. It reimagines the Superman origin story as a dark tale about a boy of extraterrestrial origin who uses his powers for violence rather than heroism. The film stars Elizabeth Banks, David Denman, and Jackson A. Dunn.
Plot premise
The story centres on a child from another world who is raised by an Earth family after arriving in a spacecraft. As he grows older, he develops superhuman abilities and turns violent, reversing the traditional superhero narrative.
Production
Brightburn was directed by David Yarovesky from a script by Brian and Mark Gunn and produced by James Gunn and Kenneth Huang. It was developed as a superhero-horror film with a deliberately darker take on familiar comic-book mythology.
Release and reception
The film premiered in cinemas in May 2019 and later became available on streaming and digital platforms. Contemporary reviews described it as a horror film built around a twisted superhero premise.
Genre and themes
The film combines horror, science fiction, and superhero elements. Its central theme is the inversion of the heroic origin story, presenting superpowers as a source of terror rather than salvation.
Key facts
- Brightburn is a dark re-telling of the Superman origin story.
- The film follows Brandon Breyer, a boy of extraterrestrial origin raised on Earth who discovers superpowers and uses them destructively.
- It was directed by David Yarovesky and written by Brian Gunn and Mark Gunn.
- The film stars Elizabeth Banks, David Denman, and Jackson A. Dunn.
- It was released in theatres on May 24, 2019.
Brightburn was released internationally and is available through major streaming and digital platforms, making it accessible to Canadian viewers; its Canadian relevance is primarily as part of mainstream English-language genre cinema.
Frequently asked questions
What is Brightburn about?
Who directed Brightburn?
Who stars in Brightburn?
What genre is Brightburn?
When was Brightburn released?
References
- Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BrightburnSupports: release year, director, writers, producers, cast, premise, genre
- Rotten Tomatoes — https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/brightburnSupports: genre, release date, runtime, MPAA rating, synopsis
- RogerEbert.com — https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/brightburn-2019Supports: critical description of the film as a horror take on a Superman-like origin
- IMDb — https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7752126/Supports: title, year, genre, basic premise
- Common Sense Media — https://www.commonsensemedia.org/movie-reviews/brightburnSupports: plot summary, cast, release details, rating