I honestly don't get the bad reviews here. We have other super powered persons gone bad movies/series (Chronicle, Split, Glass, The Boys, etc), usually in the sci-fi, action, or drama genres, that delve into "why" the person turned villainous. Brightburn, however, gives us a straight up horror movie that's basically what if 12 year old Superman had the mental stability of The Good Son (or Mikey or The Children of the Corn or *insert sociopathic child movie here*)? And they don't pull any punches with the gore either.
And what I really appreciate about the script is that the character, Brandon, does come from a loving home and while he does experience some peer bullying, it's not excessive or violent. He really has no reason to lash out other than simply discovering his powers and deciding that he is superior. There is no trigger, there is no "bad day", there is no explanation of "evil". Much like Damien in the Omen films, Brandon just accepts that he is different, having abilities that others don't have. Unfortunately for everyone else, he uses those abilities for himself, not for truth, justice, and, well, you get the idea.
And what I really appreciate about the script is that the character, Brandon, does come from a loving home and while he does experience some peer bullying, it's not excessive or violent. He really has no reason to lash out other than simply discovering his powers and deciding that he is superior. There is no trigger, there is no "bad day", there is no explanation of "evil". Much like Damien in the Omen films, Brandon just accepts that he is different, having abilities that others don't have. Unfortunately for everyone else, he uses those abilities for himself, not for truth, justice, and, well, you get the idea.
