If it wasn't for Thursday Night Football, I might've never learned about my favorite comedy of 2024. It was only a quick commercial promoting a new comedy movie available with a Amazon Prime Video subscription that revealed Peter Dinklage and Josh Brolin were starring in it. I threw it on after the game and was shocked Brothers was barely being talked about.
A movie from Etan Cohen, the same mastermind behind Tropic Thunder and Idiocracy, is sitting on streaming for the world to discover. I love it so much that I feel obligated to spread the word to other comedy fans who have no idea it even exists so we can get everyone on board with this movie featuring two brothers trying to change their lives with some long-lost jewels.
This Movie Thrives On Two Actors Known For Their Dramatic Roles Crushing It In The Comedy Genre
I don't know why I was so shocked to see James Brolin and Peter Dinklage doing comedy, especially since I can immediately think of prior examples for both. Dinklage plays the disgruntled author Miles Finch in one of the best Christmas movies ever, Elf. And how can we forget, especially with the arrival of Deadpool & Wolverine for those with a Disney+ subscription, that Brolin played Cable in Deadpool 2?
Those are just a couple of examples, and there are other times where both have shown their funny side in other movies or on Saturday Night Live. That said, there's something hilarious about seeing these two be obscene and over the top when we've seen Peter Dinklage's Emmy-winning role as Tyrion Lannister. The same is true of Brolin, where I sooner think of No Country For Old Men or Dune before one of his funnier roles.
It's easy to forget all their past dramatic roles watching Brothers, as both men alternate between the goofy and straight man throughout. Dinklage shines as the greasy Jady, politely but firmly rejecting oral sex from a geriatric cellmate before linking up with his brother Moke. Brolin also plays his part perfectly as the slightly dim brother trying to hide his felonious past from his new family.
What makes the performance so great is that it isn't hard at any point in the movie to believe these two are brothers. Brothers hinges heavily on a sibling vibe between them, and they both play their parts perfectly. Jady is the troublemaker who follows in his mother's footsteps with elaborate plans and get-rich-quick schemes, and Moke goes along mainly out of love for his family while still trying to make an honest name for himself. The chemistry these two have is siblings is what will hook you on this movie, but there's still a lot to love about it beyond just their performances.
The Supporting Cast Is Loaded With Stellar Talent
Josh Brolin and Peter Dinklage do a lot of heavy lifting in this movie, but it needs to be said they're also backed up by a stellar supporting cast. You have Glenn Close playing their sketchy mother, Cath, who is central to this big jewel heist comedy. Her performance falls somewhere between her characters in 101 Dalmatians and Hillbilly Elegy, and it's glorious.
Another person who vastly elevates the quality of this movie is Brendan Fraser, who, despite being picky about his role after The Whale, is back to doing what he does in the comedy world. Watching Brothers reminded me of how hilarious Fraser is when he's playing a character who is screaming and almost manic the entire time. He's behind some of the funniest moments in this movie, and I don't think anyone else could play his Officer Farful.
The above two are highlights, but there are plenty of others to highlight. Taylour Paige does a great job playing the supportive housewife, and I'm not sure I'll ever be able to watch Spider-Man again without seeing Marisa Tomei's wild character. I can't spoil anything more than what I've said, but suffice it to say this is a vast departure from the mom characters she's played in the past.
Ricky Stanicky Was My Favorite Comedy Of 2024, This Tops It
In my book, Prime Video is the winner of the best comedy movies of 2024. I was blown away by how hilarious Ricky Stanicky was when I first saw it that I was fairly confident nothing that came out the rest of the year would be nearly as funny as seeing John Cena dressed as Britney Spears. For those who still have yet to see that movie, let CinemaBlend's glowing Ricky Stanicky review persuade you to check it out.
I rated Ricky Stanicky a 4.5, which I think is a full star above our official review, but believe me when I say that for as much as I love that movie, Brothers tops it in just about every way imaginable. That's not to say Ricky Stanicky is a bad movie, either. I just think that Brothers is the best comedy we'll see in 2024. Given there's not much time left in the year, I feel pretty safe in assuming no other upcoming comedy still yet to be released is going to blow me away.
The only thing disappointing to me is that Brothers didn't get a theatrical release because damn, I think this movie was good enough to have a solid run in theaters. I'm hoping that as more people see it and word of mouth spreads, this movie garners some sort of cult following on streaming. I don't think there's going to be a sequel to this movie, but hopefully if enough people watch it, it'll start to get more eyes on it as we close out the rest of the year.
If you haven't figured it out by now, watching Brothers is just as easy as firing up that Prime Video subscription. Check it out, and make sure you don't accidentally mistake it for the Jake Gyllenhaal and Tobey Maguire movie that is absolutely not a comedy. I cannot stress enough how different those two movies are, despite their shared titles.
