Home Entertainment: ‘Bros’ Blu-ray review

Of all the genres out there, romantic comedies are perhaps some of the most predictable. The stories are often so formulaic that channels such as Hallmark have made a business out of churning them out. They always follow similar story paths and it seems that most filmmakers working within the genre are content to maintain the status quo, giving the audience what they think they want. The biggest crime within the genre is that the films almost exclusively centre on heterosexual couplings. It is an archaic and outdated perspective and thankfully some writers and directors are willing to present a more diverse portrayal of love. Having already subverted some tropes of the rom-com in Forgetting Sarah Marshall, director Nicholas Stoller presents a queer slant with Bros. Co-written by Stoller and lead Billy Eichner, Bros charts the relationship of Bobby (Eichner) and Aaron (Luke Macfarlane), two men who are adverse to commitment. 

Bobby and Aaron are brought to life perfectly by Eichner and Macfarlane. Eichner’s hand in the script enables Bobby to feel like a second skin for the actor. Despite the heightened environment of a rom-com setting, there is an element of truth within Bobby. Eichner uses him as a vessel to reflect elements of the gay man that are rarely told on screen. The stereotypical queer man in cinema is hyper camp and flamboyant. Bobby is almost the antithesis of this. He goes to great lengths early doors to explain his position, venting his spleen on his own podcast. While he doesn’t conform to the traditional idea of a gay man in his mind, Bobby is passionate about his heritage. He spends every waking breath educating those around him about the history and plight of the LGBTQ+ community, which comes in handy as he is part of a team creating a museum to do exactly that. 

In contrast to Bobby’s openness, Aaron is more reserved. Seen as a boring muscle-head by those around him, Aaron is another man who does not conform to stereotypes. Although gay, he enjoys a lot of activities claimed by heterosexual males. Whilst initially presented as a slice of man meat, there is a serious and mature side to Aaron that is fun to explore. The casting of Macfarlane in the role of Aaron is genius. Throughout Bros swings are taken at Hallmark movies, and Macfarlane himself is one of those swipes with him having appeared in fourteen of their films over his career. As interesting and complex as Aaron and Bobby are separately, it is their chemistry that makes Bros so special. 

Watching their journey progress from meeting in a bar to a relationship, and on from there, is a roller-coaster of unexpected moments. Whilst Stoller doesn’t shy away from following some of the typical story beats, Bros gleefully switches things up from scene to scene. It is heartfelt, and also so, so funny. The bulk of the humour comes from deviating from the genre norms, but there are plenty of other laughs to uncover; Bros is directed from the guy who gave us a subplot involving a monster muppet musical in one of his previous movies after all. This film might not get that crazy, but fun is certainly had with LGBTQ+ museum angle. There is a fantastic appearance from Debra Messing as well, which garners some chuckles, though the best laughs come through hiccups in Bobby and Aaron’s relationship. These humorous moments enrich their already charming dynamic. 

A resounding reset of the rom-com, Bros injects a modern reality into a stagnant genre. Leads Eichner and Macfarlane are perfectly cast and utterly adorable on screen together. More importantly, Bros never forgets the comedy part of itself. In many ways, Bros is setting the blueprints for future films, and if only half of them are as entertaining as this then I personally cannot wait for more. Bros criminally under-performed at the box-office, and hopefully, now it is released on home formats, this travesty can be rectified. 

Bros is available to own on Digital HD, Blu-Ray and DVD now.