Netflix's 'Bright' Review: A Magical Twist to the Buddy Cop Movie Genre

Netflix’s new big-budget action movie “Bright” would be like “Lord of the Rings”—if J.R.R Tolkien decided to add two renegade cops into the mix of Hobbits and elves. That’s what it feels like watching Will Smith’s Scott Ward team up with an Orc named Nick Jakoby (Joel Edgerton) as they run from Elf cult assassins and a gang of Orcs. Why are they running? Because during a routine night patrol, Ward and Jackoby run into some trouble and have to protect a young female elf named Tikka, and a wand that holds the fate of humanity. At some point, you’ll be wondering when Bilbo Baggins will make an appearance. But despite the ridiculous and magical storyline, “Bright” also found a creative and action-packed way to address racism.

‘Bright’ Addresses Racism and Police Violence

In this alternate universe, humans coexist with mythical creatures. But it’s not all rainbows and peace because they are facing the same social issues that we have in real life. You’d think a land filled with Fairies would find a way to rid discrimination with a wave of a wand. Even with the existence mythical creatures, “Bright” addressed racial and economic strifes with magical creatures. The Elves are the ones with the money. The Orcs are the lower class and stereotyped as violent criminals, with this prejudice caused by a Century old grudge.  Meanwhile, the humans stand between them but join in with the prejudice against Orcs. There are also fairies, but they’re more like pests than characters.

Nick Jakoby is the only Orc in the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), which makes things hard for him. But because of a newly appointed law, he was allowed to be part of the team, though no one wants him there—even his partner Scott Ward. The LAPD police chief wants him gone and would find any way to kick him out. We see how the Police poorly treat his kind. The gang of Orcs even mention how the police have ruined their peace and labeled them as the villains of society.
Jakoby is also considered an outsider to the orcs because of his job. They represent minority groups targetting as criminals and terrorists. While watching the movie, you can no longer distinguish if this was fiction or reality, because what’s happening in “Bright” it’s happening right now. The unfair treatment against Jakoby is more of fact than fiction.

A Twist to the Buddy Cop

There are a lot of cop movies about two opposites as partners. Most of the time it’s a white middle-aged man paired with a “play by his own rules” black man. Sometimes, it’s a man and a woman who is looked down upon because of her gender. There are even movies outside the cop genre that pair humans with aliens. But now, Netflix gives us a human police officer and a mythical creature. Will Smith and Joel Edgerton play off each other quite well. Smith’s Ward is the street-smart cop with a moral high ground, while Edgerton is an Orc who can be entirely oblivious to many things but also a nice guy trying to do his job.
Ward at first wants to get rid of Jakoby but not as severely as his fellow officers. Despite being annoyed with Jakoby, Ward stays loyal to him throughout the movie. Ward knows Orcs are people too and doesn’t judge Jakoby because of what he is. Their friendship is full of banter and heart like any cop duo.

Bright’s Fantasy Universe Lacks Lore

At some point, “Bright” forgot it’s also a fantasy movie. We see these mythical creatures walking around with no explanation whatsoever. The Orcs’ mythology is only mentioned twice in the movie. Two characters referenced a great war between Orcs and humans, but nothing else. There’s also no mention of why the Elves are the elites of this society. There’s even a prophecy wedged into the plot with no backstory, and for some reason, Ward and Jakoby are the ones to fulfill that prophecy.
Is it written in stone? Is there a scroll? Why are they the chosen ones? Why is there a need for a Magical Federal Agency? The movie focused too much on the action and racial commentary, leaving the lore behind. You can see the effort of recontextualizing real-life issues in a fantasy setting. But it’s still in a fantasy setting that badly needs a coherent narrative.

‘Bright’ Overall Verdict

David Ayer directed “Bright” with the same eye he had for the critically panned DCEU film, “Suicide Squad.” But this Netflix effort had its fair share of ups and downs. One thing the movie did right and that was addressing racism. The film depended on its action scenes and social commentary. The fantasy lacked any foreground, with its mythical elements treated more of an accessory rather than a vital part of the narrative. Another flaw of the movie was its lack of story-telling. We see what’s happening, but we don’t know why it is happening. But then again, Netflix has already ordered a sequel so here’s to hoping they patch up the lore and storyline.