Featuring an almost entirely queer cast, 'Bros' is sure of itself from go to whoa – there's no feeling of tiptoeing or pressure as one of the first films of its kind to make sure it's doing things 'correctly'. . . It simply is what it is, and it does what it does, with a palpable sense of confidence and self-assurance.
Billy Eichner has been quoted as saying he wasn't interested in making the queer equivalent of 'When Harry Met Sally'. . . His main goal was to make an unapologetic, full-on romantic comedy – and that's been achieved in spades.
The self-assurance of 'Bros' is completely warranted. The cast, led by Billy Eichner and Luke Macfarlane, is faultless. There's comedy provided by the glowing range of personalities at every turn. More than five minutes barely go by without at least a snicker, if not the kind of laugh that makes your stomach sore.
The humour, while very clearly written, for the most part, for a queer audience, is by no means limited to the community. The script paints elements of the gay experience expertly, and yet somehow feels completely universal in its delivery. There are hilarious pop culture references drizzled throughout the entire film which open up the fourth wall even more to contemporary audiences.
The story itself is beautiful, too. There's a chemistry between Billy's Bobby and Luke's Aaron that feels like it almost shouldn't make sense, until you witness it blooming and realise how gorgeous it is. There's a seamlessness in the way so many themes and moments in 'Bros' feel familiar from the hundreds of heterosexual rom-coms. . . And that seamlessness is simply due to the fact that this is a story that is real. It is relatable, it is happening every day around the world in the queer community, and it deserves as much screen time, funding, and visibility as the countless straight love stories cinema is drenched with.
At the end of the day, 'Bros' is adding to the ever-growing examples of representation for the LGBTQIA+ community. Young queer people will go along to this film, a romantic comedy from a major Hollywood studio, and see versions of themselves on screen thanks to the likes of Billy, Luke, TS Madison, Symone, Dot-Marie Jones, Miss Lawrence, and more.
★★★★☆
'Bros' is in cinemas 27 October.
