From the folkloric tales of Cain and Abel, Romulus and Remus, or Set and Osirus, to films like The Godfather Part II,Step Brothers, or F9, brotherly relationships are often mined for a competitive sort of love that can fuel comedy and tragedy alike. Max Barbakow made waves directing the surprisingly excellent comedy Palm Springs, which premiered to popularity and critical acclaim thanks to its surprising high-concept approach to comedy and talented leads in Andy Samberg and Cristin Milioti. His sophomore follow-up Brothers, follows a pair of brothers who become estranged when one of their criminal endeavors goes awry, leading one to a 5-year stint in the slammer while the other has since gone legitimate. They have to resolve their differences and reunite for one last job, in a charming crime caper that doesn’t match the conceptual brilliance of Palm Springs but which sails by easily on the efforts and chemistry of its talented leads.

What is ‘Brothers’ About?

Brothers follows brothers Moke (Josh Brolin) and Jady Munger (Peter Dinklage), the children of criminals who were long left to raise themselves after their mother Cath (Glenn Close) vanished after a job gone wrong. The brothers grow up the only way they know, pulling heists and cons, when bad luck results in Jady’s arrest while Moke escapes. Five years later, Moke is a reformed man with a wife and baby on the way, while Jady gets out thanks to corrupt Officer Farful (Brendan Fraser), who wants the brothers to lead him to long-lost jewels. The distant brothers have to overcome their complicated history and survive one last job, a renegade officer, and a mother they don’t trust, and hopefully, Moke doesn’t burn his new above-board life to the ground in the process.

Brolin and Dinklage Excel In the Too-Safe ‘Brothers’
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Based on a script by Macon Blair, Brothers has a very different feel from Barbakow’s prior cinematic outing. Whereas Palm Springs felt entirely fresh and novel, Brothers sits comfortably beside several criminal capers of the Logan Lucky or Guy Ritchie variety (alongside the occasional bit of humor of the Farrelly Brothers variety). There’s a lot of charm baked into the dialogue, and interesting moments and turns as the film progresses, and it’s capably directed with excellent comedic timing. It’s an enjoyable watch, though some of the cruder bits of humor (like Moke making friends with an orangutan) feel out of place with the film’s established tone, while certain plot threads don’t land or amount enough to feel integral to the narrative.

The real centerpiece of Brothers is, unsurprisingly, the relationship with the brothers themselves. Josh Brolin and Peter Dinklage have an easy tit-for-tat chemistry together, as well as excellent comedic timing and delivery (though the latter gets a higher proportion of the film’s best lines). Brolin excels as the more straight man-type, seeking to stay on the right side of the law, against a constant flow of drama that Dinklage’s Jady brings forward. They’re a persistently watchable duo. Fraser’s comedic chops suit Officer Farful well, a self-serious joke of a corrupt officer that can still bring some physical menace to the brothers yet reads henchman rather than primary antagonist. The character’s utilization could be better, perhaps thrust more actively into their lives as a more persistant antagonist, but underutilization is fairly common, here. Taylour Paige is notable as Moke’s wife Abby, packing loads of charisma in her very limited appearances despite Abby serving as little more than a narrative bookend.

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Given that the ticking clock of Moke needing to return home despite the criminal shenanigans is an engaging challenge for the characters, greater inclusion of Abby would have sharpened the narrative as a whole. The film is beset with minor narrative issues like this, moments that would be vastly improved with greater inclusion of some assets or exclusion of others. Any individual one isn’t that much of an issue, but the overall impact lessens the viability of a comedy that had potential. As a result, Brothers is an unfortunately commonplace follow-up to Barbakow’s surprising first feature, easily better off for the efforts of Brolin and Dinklage, but one can’t help but think of what could have been accomplished with a cast this good.

‘Brothers’ Is A Breezy Comedy in Need of Innovation
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Brothers is a largely enjoyable comedy, predominantly thanks to its talented central duo and smart direction by Barbakow, though it admittedly suffers from a host of issues baked into the script itself. Important characters are underutilized (Abby, Farful) in ways that lessen tension while others feel like needless detours (everything about Marisa Tomei’s Bethesda). Little about the script feels especially new within a well-trod subgenre and set of tropes, having missed some opportunities to surprise, take risks, or make the script fresh. It’s a relatively enjoyable, but ultimately forgettable watch.

ReviewBrothers boasts a talented cast, anchored by strong comedic performances from Josh Brolin and Peter Dinklage, but is ultimately let down by a script that doesn’t know where its strengths lie.ProsJosh Brolin and Peter Dinklage have an easy and watchable brotherly chemistry, excelling in their respective roles.The dialogue is humorous, and many scenes are engaging, especially when they put Brolin and Dinklage together. ConsThe narrative as a whole suffers from underutilized characters and missed potential to stand out.While it’s an easy and watchable film, it needs more creative elements to feel like it isn’t a retread of so many films that have come before.

Two estranged brothers find themselves reconnecting when they inherit their father’s struggling vineyard. As they work together to restore the family business, they confront personal challenges and unresolved issues from their past, leading to surprising revelations and the possibility of reconciliation.Release Date October 17, 2024 Director Max Barbakow Cast Josh Brolin , Peter Dinklage , Taylour Paige , M. Emmet Walsh , Jen Landon , Brendan Fraser , Glenn Close , Gralen Bryant Banks , Andrew Joseph Brodeur , Margo Moorer , Brooks Indergard , Jonathan Aidan Cockrell , Joshua Mikel , Pat Fisher , Nathan Hesse , Taylor St. Clair , Alonzo Ward , William Tokarsky , Matt Lewis , Roger Payano , Marisa Tomei Runtime 88 Mins Expand

Brothers is available to stream on Prime Video in the U.S.

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