The Netflix original film "Bright," starring Will Smith, has received a lot of positive feedback from viewers, but critics could not seem to agree on what to make of the buddy cop genre film. It seems that movie critics have opinions that sit on the opposite ends of the spectrum — either it's the worst film of the year, or one of the best ones. This now has spawned an online discourse regarding what the consensus is on the high-budget Netflix movie.
According to Forbes, it is recommended that the audience suspend their expectations before they watch the film. Even though initial impressions would not be great, it seems to get better as audiences watch further. The streaming giant gave a budget of $90 million, which makes the film the most expensive Netflix film to date. "Bright" was directed by David Ayer, who also directed the DCEU film, "Suicide Squad."
With little information available, the film appears bizarre, with Smith's co-star, Joel Edgerton sufficiently marketed as a humanoid with blue make-up — because he plays an orc. The story is set in modern time, where humans and supernatural creatures co-habitate. It is safe to assume that Netflix took a big gamble on a script like "Bright," and it is possible that it is the streaming giant's way of testing the waters, so to speak.
Deadline points out that the project is a failed attempt at competing with other successful movie franchises of the same genre. In addition to that, it is speculated that "Bright" is the streaming giant's hail mary attempt at sparking their first film franchise. The fact that supernatural creatures like orcs, fairies, and elves are present in the premise of "Bright" could be a commentary on the racial issues that is present around the world today.
However, this attempt at raising political awareness may fall a little flat for some.
Despite the negative reviews that the film has been garnering, it was immediately greenlit for a sequel. Ayer seems to not be bothered too much about the negative reviews, and even appears to be reveling in them, according to Entertainment Tonight. Given that critics hated "Suicide Squad," Ayer has admitted that he is used to his movies not being praised, but this does not mean that he plans on stopping any time soon.
