Netflix[1] has made a name for itself in the television department over the last few years, thanks to the likes of Stranger Things[2], BoJack Horseman[3], and the various Marvel[4] shows. But it doesn't have that kind of credibility on the movies front yet, where it's fighting studios with much deeper pockets, and also always pushes for a same-day release on its platform as in theatres. 2017 has been a big year for Netflix though, with the Cannes-premiere of Korean adventure Okja, the major deal for Martin Scorsese's The Irishman, and now the release of its most expensive film to date, Bright.
The film takes place in an alternate reality where humans, orcs, elves, and fairies have lived beside each other since the beginning of time. Will Smith stars as a human LAPD cop named Ward, who's been reluctantly paired with an orc cop named Jakoby, played by Joel Edgerton, due to a diversity hire programme initiated by the department. This bit is slightly reminiscent of Zootopia's[5] opening, which also features a diversity-hire police officer, and both films talk about society judging individuals on their appearances, rather than seeing them for who they really are.
But following two cops is also reminiscent of most films written and/or directed by David Ayer – he's best known as the man behind last year's dumpster-fire Suicide Squad[6] (which also starred Smith) – whose background as a naval officer has seen him pen or helm several movies about law officers, starting with his Hollywood-breakout Training Day in 2001, lean years in between that gave us Dark Blue, S.W.A.T. (both in 2003), and Street Kings (2008), followed by his most critically-acclaimed venture, End of Watch,...