44
Metascore
31 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 83The PlaylistThe PlaylistThe film is a gem, especially for anyone yearning for a superhero film that gleefully torches the familiar “good versus evil” formula and introduces far more sinister sensibilities.
- 71IGNWitney SeiboldIGNWitney SeiboldBrightburn doesn't take its satire to any kind of satisfying extreme – although a mid-credits stinger does include a larger joke at work – but as a superhero murder thriller, it is perfectly entertaining.
- 60The GuardianBenjamin LeeThe GuardianBenjamin LeeIt’s a film that’s good enough that you want it to be better, a rare genre example of less not proving to be more.
- 58IndieWireKate ErblandIndieWireKate ErblandThe film’s bent towards revisionist superhero history is certainly compelling, but stuck in the confines of the horror genre, it flames out far more than it flies.
- 50The Hollywood ReporterFrank ScheckThe Hollywood ReporterFrank ScheckWhile not exactly original, the premise is certainly effective enough. But Brightburn lacks the visual stylization or wit to elevate it from the realm of the crudely effective B-movie.
- 50ConsequenceDominick Suzanne-MayerConsequenceDominick Suzanne-MayerIt’s a nasty piece of work, and one that at the very least stands as an active interruption of the escapist, family-friendly superhero fare currently dominating the industry.
- 42The A.V. ClubJesse HassengerThe A.V. ClubJesse HassengerThrowing in some gnarly gore—and Brightburn indulges a couple of truly gruesome flinches—doesn’t change the plodding inevitability with which Brandon goes super-evil.
- 40VarietyDennis HarveyVarietyDennis HarveyA watchable but super-silly mix of superheroics and evil-child horror that mashes together singularly uninspired ideas from both.
- 33TheWrapRobert AbeleTheWrapRobert AbeleWhile we can perhaps be grateful that the superficiality of Brightburn probably kept it from opting to exploit elements of disturbed-kid narratives that have been all too common in our more tragic news stories, what remains is still never terribly entertaining as either popcorn or a bent take on superhero myths.
- 25Slant MagazineEd GonzalezSlant MagazineEd GonzalezThe way the film shuttles through its 90 minutes, it’s as if it’s been stripped of its most crucial narrative parts.