Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		3.0
Overall		3.5

Bros Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman November 28, 2022

As someone who grew up in an era when guys who didn't conform to expected "masculine" behaviors (not necessarily limited to being attracted to women) were often pummeled verbally with nasty epithets and in the worst cases actually physically by bullying types, one of the really cool things about watching my own sons grow up decades later in an arguably somewhat more tolerant society is seeing how things like sexual preference or perceived "normal" ways of behaving don't invite the same general umbrage that they used to. In fact, instead of umbrage, some may say that people are downright indifferent about such things these days, at least as evidenced by the less than thrilling box office receipts that Bros racked up during its brief theatrical exhibition. This film was hugely marketed as a big studio LGBTQ+ production, and in fact the very plot revolves around what might be called "LGBTQ+ branding" (as in a museum at the center of the story that bears that very acronym), but for whatever reason, it failed to connect with audiences. What I think might have played into this, however ironic it may be, is that Bros, while claiming to be "the first gay rom-com" (or something like that) is in fact too generic even despite its focus on two guys hooking up. This is especially odd given its imprimatur and its obvious emphasis on gay pride, but the good news is, even generic outings can often be funny, and Bros does offer some nicely written characters who deliver some charming banter.

Bobby Lieber (Billy Eichner) is a podcaster who is excited about a new career opportunity as the curator of a planned National LGBTQ+ History Museum in Manhattan. Bobby isn't really that interested in finding a partner, but this wouldn't be a rom-com without one, and soon enough a guy named Aaron Shepard (Luke Macfarlane) is introduced. What's kind of interesting is that Bobby and Aaron aren't really shown to be either the "oil and water" pair that many rom-coms at least start out as portraying (which of course then turns into mad, unrepentant love), or those "love at first sight" types, and instead are kind of, well, indifferent about each other, despite halting attempts at forging at least a friendship, if nothing more.

Well, of course there is something more, though kind of interestingly this doesn't always follow the same general outlines of what I guess would be called "straight rom-coms", albeit again the film kind of seems to want to have things both ways (no sexual preference pun intended), with a more or less direct appeal to LGBTQ+ audiences, while also keeping things "mainstream" enough for perhaps more conservative tastes. The film does best when it tends to skewer preconceptions, actually from both straight and gay characters in the film, and there are some amusing cameos from a number of notables playing themselves, as well some other quasi-cameos with the likes of Harvey Fierstein, Kenan Thompson and Amy Schumer playing various roles (some, as in the case of the parts Thompson and Schumer play, being on the whimsical side, though they're woven into one of several subtexts here involving the ostensible "erasure" of LGBTQ+ folks throughout history).

Bros Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Bros is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Universal Studios with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 2.39:1. The IMDb doesn't have a wealth of technical data, but the Arriraw datapoint suggests an Alexa camera (yes, folks, that's a joke), though the resolution of the DI is still unlisted as of the writing of this review. I frankly wouldn't be surprised to find out that a 4K DI was utilized, as detail levels are typically excellent across the board in this presentation. The palette is bright and inviting almost all of the time, and kind of thankfully, things don't seem to have been aggressively graded very much, though certain scenes, as in the nightclub where Bobby first spies Aaron, are certainly lit aggressively, though commendably fine detail levels only rarely falter.

Bros Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Bros features an intermittently rambunctious DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track that derives quite a bit of energy from a number of larger crowd scenes where the side and rear channels are clearly engaged. Perhaps surprisingly, the film does not offer a nonstop array of source cues, but the underscore by Marc Shaiman does also waft through the surround channels engagingly. Dialogue is always rendered cleanly and clearly throughout. Optional English, French and Spanish subtitles are available.

Bros Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Deleted Scenes (HD; 13:41)


• Gag Reel (HD; 4:01)


• Representation Matters (HD; 5:08) has a bit of a "meta" side, but has some salient comments about the whole "gay rom-com" thing.


• From Start to Finish (HD: 13:17) offers some history on the project.


• Introducing Bobby and Aaron (HD; 5:54) looks at the two focal characters.


• The Cast and the Cameos (HD; 8:24) features an overview of the LGBTQ cast.


• The Art of the Rom-Com with Billy and Nick (HD; 3:52) purports to give an overview of rom-coms within the context of this effort.


• The Bros National LGBTQIA+ History Museum (HD; 5:56) gets into the use of the museum in the story.


• The Making of a Deleted Scene (HD; 6:18) actually looks at two deleted segments.

Additionally, digital and DVD copies are included, and packaging features a slipcover.

Bros Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

In a way, Bros may have fell victim to its own hype. Can any one movie suddenly reinvent a genre in its own image, as this one was advertised as doing? It might be best to see Bros as an encouraging first step rather than a be all end all. Technical merits are solid and the supplements very appealing. Recommended.