BRIGHTBURN (2019) Movie Review

1978 superhero classic Superman inspires the world with the story of Jesus Christ in a remarkable, memorable way. So much so that adaptations of the Superman character continue to thrive after forty-one years. DC Comics in their enthusiastic attempt to follow in Marvel's profound footsteps bring Superman back to life in several modern films, including Batman vs. Superman and Justice League .Now in a sinister twist, Brightburn tells the story of an evil version of the indestructible alien. Instead of his heroic counterpart, Brandon Breyer becomes a bloodthirsty sociopath. He thrives on fear and rages at the truth. He punishes or kills any person who threatens his image as an innocent, happy child.

Now in a sinister twist, Brightburn tells the story of an evil version of the indestructible alien. Instead of his heroic counterpart, Brandon Breyer becomes a bloodthirsty sociopath. He thrives on fear and rages at truth. He punishes or kills any person who threatens his image as an innocent, happy child. Brandon Breyer is far from innocent. He is no Christ figure. He is instead the Anti-Christ: powerful, inevitable, and filled with lies. The message that fuels him repeats the same statement in his head until it becomes his obsession and fixation.

There is hope to defeat him, the secret in the barn. The small craft in which Brandon crashes on Earth is his kryptonite. Its alien material penetrates his indestructible body. That ship represents the  truth. It carries the key to his origin and his weakness. Only truth defeats him.

Many people (messengers) strive to defeat him. They are the witnesses and messengers who strive to communicate to the world that Brandon is not the innocent child he appears to be. Their message, however, falls on deaf ears, and it leads to their downfall. Everyone who crosses Brandon meets a horrific, violent end. All but two.

Caitlyn is the Lois Lane figure, an intuitive classmate with an interest in writing. She is kind to Brandon, but she comes to fear him. He crushes her hand as a way to silence her. However, she refuses to stop writing. As her hand heals, she learns to type one hand. It's a slow process, but she is determined to tell her story.

The other survivor is his aunt and school counselor, Merilee. She learns his secret ambitions, sociopathy, and his superior. Gravely concerned, she threatens to report him to police in spite of his attempts to intimate her. That day never comes, because her attention is turned when her husband dies violently on the road. She never learns the truth behind that death. Will she be his new caretaker? His "Martha"?

His adoptive parents are the only people who know his alien origins. They keep that secret in the barn, because they cannot accept the truth. Their idyllic family is built on a lie. The day Brandon learns the truth is the day that structure crumbles. Driven mad with power, he vows to end the world. No one is safe from his rampage, not even his own parents. The hope of that terrible truth coming to light dies with them.

Brightburn begins with a crash that sets the fate of the world into motion, and it ends with a crash that guarantees the success of that fate by protecting Brandon’s identity. The truth remains in the shadows.

The end of the world will come, and death will find you. Judgment Day is inevitable, as inevitable as the hopelessness that comes with Brandon Breyer. No one can stop him. No one can defeat him. The real question is whether or not we are prepared for judgment. Our only hope is truth. Salvation lies with Jesus Christ, the son of God, who died for you. He loves you. He wants you. No violence. No lies.

Are you ready for the end?