Tiger Tales
Ever since their mother died Kelly (Briana Evigan) has cared for her autistic brother, Tom (Charlie Tahan), but now is going to place him in a special school whilst she goes to college. Except the money which their mother had left has gone from her account as her stepfather Johnny (Garret Dillahunt) has taken the money to not only protect the house again hurricanes but by a tiger as he sets up his own safari show. After returning home to confront Johnny, Kelly and Tom stay the night only to wake up to find themselves stuck in the house with the tiger and with all the exits boarded up.
Anyone who casts Briana Evigan in a movie does so knowing that they will immediately win over audiences. The reason why is that Evigan is not only an attractive actress but she has a way of playing appealing characters which draw you to them. And that is what Evigan delivers in "Burning Bright" as she delivers that young woman who wants so much to have her own life but loves her little brother so even when he unintentionally frustrates her she is still there for him. Don't get me wrong as there isn't anything special about the character of Kelly but she is appealing and that is hugely important.
But of course "Burning Bright" isn't about Briana; it is about the set up of a tiger in a house with Kelly and her brother Tom trying to survive. It is a bit curious when we discover how the tiger gets to be in the house and it is a simple enough concept but it works. The big reason for that is that this isn't some CGI filled horror, nope director Carlos Brooks goes old school and uses real tigers. As such we have clever camera work, clever editing but also the skill of animal handlers which as a fan of old school cinema I an appreciate.
What this all boils down to is that "Burning Bright" is a simple enough movie but it is one I can appreciate due to not only the old school techniques of using real animals but also because of the clever casting of Briana Evigan who brings her likeable nature to the role.
