A couple of weeks ago, we paused to praise the disruptors over at Netflix for doing, with their original films, what risk-averse studios seem so reluctant to do anymore: give filmmakers the freedom to make movies that vibrate with their distinctive voice. That said, the problem with their hands-off approach is that it wouldn’t just apply to gifted directors, and if Okja is the “pro” of that methodology, it seems safe to bet that Bright is the “con.”
Speaking of cons, Max Landis was reportedly paid a whopping $3 million for the script to this dire-looking mash-up of Alien Nation, Colors, and Men in Black; to put it into perspective, that’s more than the entire budget of co-star Joel Edgerton’s last movie, It Comes at Night. But hey, can you even put a price on a Hollywood rich kid’s insightful take on racial tension in L.A.? I mean, “Fairy lives don’t matter today” is worth a cool mill on its own.
And if you’re wondering how this movie could be even more promising, I have good news for you: it’s helmed by Suicide Squad and End of Watch director/Training Day writer David Ayer. So yes, there’s plenty of buddy cop squabbling, dodgy effects, and “edgy attitude” to boot. It must be said, when you’ve got a name screenwriter and a name director working together, there’s a risk of diluting one or the other’s sensibilities. And if the trailer for Bright does one thing well (and, I think you’ll agree, it really does only do this one thing well), it fully conveys the cocktail of Red Bull and curdled human urine that is an Ayer/Landis team-up.
Anyway. Here’s your trailer.
Bright hits Netflix on December 22, but according to the trailer, Bright: The Album is “coming soon.” I SMELL A BIG WILLIE TITLE TRACK!!