Bright is the newest Netflix produced a feature film, backed by the biggest budget that Netflix has ever provided. Directed by David Ayer (best known for his work on Suicide Squad) and written by Max Landis, the film follows the turbulent relationship of cop-duo Daryl (Will Smith) and Nick (Joel Edgerton). Set in an alternate reality where fantastical creatures like orcs and elves live among humans, the film fluctuates between a police drama with a dash of comedy and a fantasy story about the end of times. Does this Netflix original continue the trend of Hollywood-quality films on demand, or is it another streaming blunder?
The world that Bright introduces us to is grim; one with the constant racial tension between orcs and humans. Elves sit higher up on the class scale, mainly portrayed as rich snobs who are more interested in commodities than humanity. Will Smith plays Daryl, a human cop who is down on his luck, attempting to provide for his wife and young daughter. Early in the film, Daryl’s safety as a police officer immediately becomes a concern after being partnered up with Nick (Joel Edgerton), the only orc police officer in existence. Since Nick is an orc that hasn’t been “blooded”, meaning he belongs to no dedicated clan or family of orcs, he is seen as a traitor to the race. As a means of retaliation, an orc gunman shoots Daryl, leaving him weakened. After Nick fails to detain and arrest the shooter, his loyalty is called into question.
The beginning of Bright starts to tell a story ripe with social commentary and offers an excess of background information. As Daryl and Nick begin their new partnership, we learn about a war from 2,000 years ago, in which orcs fought alongside a powerful being known as “The Dark Lord”. As the story continues, the social commentary and racial allegories get lost in the shuffle, as does the focus of the film. Most of the characters are unlikable and flawed, specifically Daryl. Nick is meant to be the misunderstood character to empathize with, but he often comes off as stupid, negligent to his duties, and annoying. Without a clear antagonist or driving force, the film sits in an awkward limbo as Daryl continuously berates Nick for being an orc, and we learn more and more about “The Dark Lord”.
The film eventually shifts to a more traditional battle between good and evil, with the cop duo in possession of an item that powerful forces wish to use. As our not-actually-buddy cops find themselves on the wrong side of almost everyone, they struggle to save the world from the group that threatens it.
If it sounds a bit confusing, that’s because the script (written by Max Landis) is all over the place. It attempts to speak on real-world issues like growing tension with police and racial inequality but does so with a clumsy and heavy hand. There’s no subtlety in its metaphors, and the film ultimately has nothing to say on the matters it brings up. The tone of the film is in constant flux; one moment pointing out police brutality while Will Smith delivers one-liners, the next an excessive gunfight or explosive set piece. Part action, part drama, part comedy, and all parts underwhelming, Bright never finds its focus. Instead, it spreads itself thin across all matter of genres and topics, hoping to grasp onto something.
It’s unfortunate that the script is so weak since the film has such a good cast. Besides Smith and Edgerton at the leads, actors like Edgar Ramirez, Kenneth Choi, and Ike Barinholtz fill in supporting roles. The actors perform to the best of their ability but are extremely limited by the inconsistent dialogue and script blunders. Most characters are only contained to a handful of scenes, and since everyone is generally depicted as an utter ass, it’s hard to side with any of them. Bright also lacks any strong female roles, with the exception being one of the main villains. Most women are depicted as frail and distressed, from Daryl’s wife to the weakened Tikka, who Daryl and Nick escort through the latter third of the film.
As a spectacle, Bright does a decent job delivering countless action scenes. These scenes are shot well, and while not as exciting as something like John Wick, have a decent amount of exciting fight choreography. The explosions are numerous, as are the flying bullets and bloody headshots. However, these scenes also feel shallow and flat, mainly due to a lack of peril or character stakes. Characters have incredible amounts of plot armor, and even in the most effective scenes, characters manage to ex machina themselves out of harm’s way.
Bright isn’t a terrible movie, it just stumbles every step of the way. At its best, it’s a derivative action film that attempts some social commentary and genre-bending. At its worst, it’s a jumbled mess of tone, intent, and gunfire, thrown at the screen in an attempt for anything worthwhile to stick. The excess of inconsequential backstory makes it obvious that a sequel is in the works, and although Bright closes off its main conflict, there’s still enough room for a follow-up. Bright attempts to tell a hard-hitting drama with a dash of fantasy, but ends up falling flat in almost every way. Except for a handful of interesting action scenes, the majority of the film is uninteresting. The aspects that are interesting eventually fall off, end on a disappointing note, or at worse have laughable conclusions. In the end, Bright is a movie that sits on the edge of being bad. For a straight-to-streaming film, that’s not bad. For the biggest and most expensive Netflix feature original produced, it’s a huge disappointment.
Movie Rating: 2 stars.
Movie Ratings Guide
1 Star = Unwatchable
2 Stars = Cannot Recommend
3 Stars = Great for the Fans
4 Stars = A Solid Movie
5 Stars = Must Own (DVD/Stream Download)
About Author
