BROS (NETFLIX) (2022)

SYNOPSIS: This fall, Universal Pictures proudly presents the first romantic comedy from a major studio about two gay men maybe, possibly, probably, stumbling towards love. Maybe. They're both very busy. From the ferocious comic mind of Billy Eichner (Billy on the Street, 2019's The Lion King, Difficult People, Impeachment: American Crime Story) and the hitmaking brilliance of filmmakers Nicholas Stoller (the Neighbors films, Forgetting Sarah Marshall) and Judd Apatow (The King of Staten Island, Trainwreck, The Big Sick), comes Bros, a smart, swoony and heartfelt comedy about how hard it is to find another tolerable human being to go through life with. 

MOVIE REVIEW:

In 2022, two high profile LGBT+ theme comedies were released. First being Andrew Ahn, Joel Kim Booster’s Fire Island and three months later, Nicholas Stoller, Billy Eichner’s Bros. The former went straight to Disney+ while Bros skipped the entire theatrical release locally. Perhaps romantic comedies with a queer theme still needs time to find an audience.

In Bros, comedian Eichner plays Bobby Lieber, a podcaster and also a curator for the upcoming national LGBTQ+ history museum. Lieber is single, attempts unsuccessfully to hook up on Grindr and seems to be riled up all the time. But Lieber’s love life is ready for a change when he met a hot but boring, jacked-up lawyer, Aaron (Luke McFarlane). While Lieber is curious about him, Aaron prefers to keep things as it is. Aloof, distanced and maybe playing it cool.

Bros is a movie aim to subvert the expectations of a conventional rom-com. It is a movie that opens up to the world of LGBT+ dating scene, hookup culture and the challenging mindset of heterosexuals. You get a lot of messages of how homosexual actually exists eons ago from Eichner’s character. Queer history to be exact. On a side note, even the 16th president of the United States, Abraham Lincoln is hinted as gay. Lincoln’s sexual orientation is being examined in an upcoming documentary, Lover of Men so maybe co-writer Eichner is not making this up.

Since this is R21 movie, some might feel a bit uncomfortable with all the sexually-charged scenes, nudity and kissing. Bros isn’t afraid to showcase the spicy love and sex between Lieber and Aaron but then love is love and as what country singer, Garth Brooks sings, “We Shall Be Free”.

Despite Lieber being a motor-mouth and his sometimes exhausting monologues, there’s some heart to heart talk between the two men that stands as a beautiful, positive testament to true love. And there’s also Eichner’s always funny exchanges with his fellow LGBT+ museum colleagues that stood out from the crowd.

Indeed, Stoller’s steadfast experiences with comedies liked Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Neighbours helped to keep Eichner’s occasionally rambling material in check. Bros is an unapologetically gay rom-com that is hilarious, wicked and possibly relevant in today’s society. And not to mention a likeable tongue-in-cheek reference to Night at the Museum.

MOVIE RATING:

Review by Linus Tee