Anticipation has been high for Billy Eichner’s upcoming LGBTQ+ rom-com Bros, and that excitement has only grown since the movie received stellar reactions following its premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival. Eichner wrote the script with director Nicholas Stoller and stars opposite Hallmark movie favorite Luke Macfarlane in the comedy that is making history with a main cast of openly LGBTQ+ actors. The reviews are in, so let’s see what the critics have to say about the rom-com ahead of its September 30 theatrical release.
Along with the two leads, Bros features tons of queer talent, including the likes of Bowen Yang, Harvey Fierstein, Guillermo Díaz, Dot-Marie Jones and Ts Madison, so it sounds like there’s plenty of reason to be excited. The story is centered around Bobby Lieber (Billy Eichner), an unlucky in love podcaster who becomes involved with Aaron Shepard (Luke Macfarlane). So what time of rom-com calamity will ensue? Let’s see what the critics have to say, starting with CinemaBlend’s review of Bros. Our own Corey Chichizola rates the film 4 stars out of 5, saying the cast and the screenplay combine for an utterly hilarious and heartfelt experience. He says:
While Bros is breaking new ground as a queer romantic comedy getting a full theatrical release, it’s also going to give audiences everything they expect from a Judd Apatow comedy. Situations get outrageous, especially where Bobby and Aaron’s sex life is concerned. But at the same time, Bros also takes special care when honoring queer history in a way that feels organic and real.
Carla Renata of The Curvy Critic calls the movie outrageous and insightful, with a script that will penetrate the most cynical of hearts while making audiences laugh out loud. From the review:
Well, baby, I’m hear to tell you this insightful rom-com about a witty, cynical podcaster navigating romance with a handsome lawyer is a pitch-perfect portrait of queer New York in all its glory! Billy Eichner worked it all the way out with Bros. I hollered, laughed and was talking back to the screen…for real though it was just that fantabulous.
While that review pointed to Bros’ humor, Richard Lawson of Vanity Fair praises Billy Eichner for finding a balance between the brand he’s known for and some truly sincere moments. More from the review:
Anyone familiar with Eichner’s loopy television series Billy on the Street will recognize the particular brand of reference-y, biting humor that gives Bros its acerbic pep. What’s new is a layer of sweetness and introspection, an Apatovian wistfulness that rounds out the film’s prickly edges. Eichner proves as adept at semi-seriousness as he is at comedy. Maybe even more so—some of my favorite moments in the film are when Bobby (and, probably, Billy) takes a break from his routine to sincerely explain himself, to expound on his own nature in a rare expression of vulnerability.
Ryan Lattanzio of IndieWire grades the movie a B, calling Bros a gay homage to the classic rom-com. The review notes that one thing the movie gets it right is that it doesn’t try too hard to pander to gay audiences; it just sees and hears them. The critic says:
The actual breaking of ground is that the cast is top-to-toe gay, gay, gay… and that’s pretty much where it stops. The screenplay’s contours are broadly conventional, but that’s a good thing. When we talk about wanting to be seen, a lot of us really mean that what we want is a gay version of our ’90s rom-coms when the genre was at its best. Bros fits the bill.
Dan Bayer of Next Best Picture rates it an 8 out of 10, saying that Billy Eichner and Nichols Stoller do a great job of showing how straight and gay relationships are different, and yet it still fits the classic romantic comedy mold. He calls this movie the “standard bearer for a new generation of films that will not have this film’s burden of representation.” More from the review:
Line for line, this is the funniest film of the year so far. But it is also equally thought-provoking in how it acknowledges the difference between straight and gay relationships and interrogates the importance of LGBTQ+ people discovering our history and telling our stories. [However] the burden of representation can make it feel overstuffed at times, and if you're not a fan of Billy Eichner's style of humor, this may not work for you.
It sounds like critics are excited about Bros, and it’s impossible to ignore how big of a deal this movie is in terms of representation. If this is one you need to check out on the big screen, you’ll be able to do so starting on Friday, September 30. Also be sure to check out our 2022 Movie Release Schedule to see what other movies are coming to theaters soon.
