Before James Gunn’s new Superman movie came out, he directed another film featuring the iconic hero. This earlier movie is now available on Netflix and, despite having a modest budget of $6 million, earned $33 million at the box office. While successful, it didn’t reach the same heights as the new Superman, which grossed over $616 million. Critics gave the earlier film a 57% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
I recently discovered this really interesting movie, Brightburn, and it totally flipped the superhero story on its head! It came out in 2019, directed by David Yarovesky and written by the Gunn brothers. It’s about a boy named Brandon Breyer who’s actually from another planet, but he’s raised as one of us by wonderful parents. But as he gets older and goes through puberty, something dark starts to take over, and he doesn’t use his powers to help people… he uses them to follow some seriously disturbing impulses. It just landed on Netflix, and I couldn’t stop watching!
Brightburn Is James Gunn’s Anti-Superman Movie
While not a Superman movie, Brightburn clearly draws inspiration from the classic story. Both narratives feature a child with extraordinary powers who arrives on Earth from another planet and is raised by human parents in a quiet, rural town. However, Brightburn takes a dark turn, reimagining the origin story as a horror film. It presents a character who is essentially the opposite of Superman, seemingly destined for evil no matter how loving his upbringing. And it executes this terrifying twist exceptionally well.
Brightburn flips the Superman story on its head, presenting a terrifying take on the familiar ‘boy scout’ trope. Jackson A. Dunn delivers a chilling performance as a young Brandon, fully embracing his dark side and using his powers without hesitation. The film earns its R rating with genuinely disturbing and brutal scenes, showcasing the horrifying consequences of his abilities and sadistic tendencies. This results in shocking deaths and a constant sense of dread. Brightburn works equally well as a frightening superhero horror film and a relentlessly intense slasher movie.
James Gunn hasn’t returned to the world of Brightburn, and he mentioned on Threads last year that a sequel was probably not going to happen. However, he did explore a similar story with this year’s Superman movie. He’s currently developing another film, Man of Tomorrow, which is planned for release on July 9, 2027.
What’s New on Netflix?
I was so excited to see what new movies landed on Netflix at the beginning of December! Along with Brightburn, they added a bunch of classics like A League of Their Own, Cheaper by the Dozen, all three Kung Fu Panda films, Pulp Fiction, and Zero Dark Thirty. And it doesn’t stop there – later this month, they’re adding The Northman on the 3rd, Cast Away on the 7th, and Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery on the 12th. There’s definitely something for everyone!
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2025-12-01 18:40