Bros (Blu-ray Review)
Bros was labeled as the first LGBTQ+ romantic comedy of all time. Major studio backed, maybe, but the label itself was a falsity. In the 90’s, we had a few movies come and go, some surprising, some not and some were from major studios, even if they had straight actors in the roles. What Bros does have working for itself is a largely LGBTQ+ cast, which is rare. Even in the roles that are “straight” there are queer actors in the roles. Save for a few cameos, we are treated to a treasure trove of comic talent, and that for me is what matters most. Read more on Bros below and click the paid link below to score a copy. We may not have gone out in droves to see this film, but maybe we can stay in and enjoy it!
Film 
Bobby (Billy Eichner) is eternally single. He is a successful podcaster and is about to embark on a new journey as the director of the “LGBTQ+ History Museum” in New York. While his professional life has been thriving (he just won an award for Cis Gay Man of the Year!!), his love life feels empty: Bobby often works through Grindr hookups as if they’re a job interview, feeling lightly satisfied, even if the connection ends up being awkward.
Besides the love life issues, Bobby is not necessarily one who fits into his community. He has researched, read, catalogued, and discussed many historical things related to his community. At the same time, Bobby doesn’t really fit in all the time. On a night out with his friend Henry (Guy Branum, himself not emulating what we’re used to seeing as the “gay stereotype”, thankfully!) at a club in the city, Bobby is easily uncomfortable – “They cannot stop voguing!!” he screams as he tries to walk off the dancefloor. Bobby ends up being introduced to Aaron (Hallmark actor extraordinaire Luke Macfarlane) and they have a paltry meet cute with Bobby explaining how he’s bad at flirting, and what each other does for work. It goes from basics to sexual and then back to basics, only to have Aaron ghost him within seconds. “Gay guys are so stupid…” says Aaron, which is replied to rapid fire by Bobby who agrees and says, “Gay guys are usually the absolute smartest or like the dumbest people I’ve ever met.” This is when things get interesting. They end up seeing each other for who they are.
After the disappointing meeting, Aaron gets ahold of Bobby and the two potential lovebirds begin to learn more about one another. First, they start with more awkwardness, but through each instance there is a yearning to understand one another. Despite them being opposite in lots of ways, Aaron being built and masculine, with Bobby being more emotional, and somewhere between masculine and feminine, not worried about being seen as manly, the two make each other happy, and they behave differently with one another than they do with others. It gives the impression of a budding romance.
The main story beats are familiar – Boy meets boy, boy dates boy, boy loses boy for some basic reason, boys reunite and come together, bliss achieved, credits. That’s the part that’s inevitable. The refreshing part of this is not even remotely about the characters being gay, queer, bi, trans, or lesbians. The refreshing part is how modern it all is. The scenes are given a new sense with very cleverly dialogue. The writing is a huge proponent of the film’s success. Billy Eichner and director Nicholas Stoller have somehow given me hope for future romantic comedies, but also comedies in general. I found a lot of my own life in those scenes and ability to relate to Bobby and Aaron but also the characters that support theirs. There are actors that totally understand the comedy and its beautiful to see everyone really leaning into their roles, being genuinely funny, sweet, uplifting or even cringey without giving it any indication that it’s all for a laugh. There is no **wink-wink** going on in this film, and that’s another thing that works so well.
In writing this review for Bros, I made it a point to revisit the film for a second time. I found myself just as engaged with the film as I was in my first viewing. There is a sense of self-deprecation that really lends itself beautifully to the film’s universe. It’s rare to find a movie that knows what it’s being perceived as, and then has the follow through to actually challenge you to not laugh when it’s giving you these great moments of universally funny humor. It’s sort of unfortunate thinking about how the movie did in a theater. $14 million dollars, even post-Covid is a sad number no matter the film. It’s a shame that people were so uncomfortable with the idea of a not-so-new group of people being more than just a side character. What won’t be a shame, is that a new audience, and some of us being gay adults seeing a movie like this, is that we’re given a look into a life that’s relatable to us. Finally, we ‘re given the ability to see people like us on screen, without being a punchline or being a plot point that is typically the sad one (ie, a gay bashing…) is extremely special. In fact, that, to me, is damn near revolutionary.
Video
Resolution: 1080p
Aspect Ratio: 2.39:1
Clarity/Detail: What a gorgeous looking film. The movie takes place a great majority of the time in spring and summer. Colors are warm and cool, never hot, or cold. It’s obvious that this is a film with a 4K DI, with that resolution being how the film is presented on Peacock. Looking at this film on disc, the details are still crisp and refined. The look is often sun-kissed and lovely. When the film goes into the winter moments, it all looks like a gorgeous holiday time. I have no qualms about saying this is about as perfect as a standard Blu-ray can get.
Depth: Bros on Blu-ray looks impeccable in the depth department. Sets and outdoor environments are dense with depth. There truly is a pop to a lot of the set pieces and that makes for a viewing that is absolutely wonderful.
Black Levels: Perfect with zero crush evidenced.
Color Reproduction: I love the color palette of this movie. The overall look of the film is very warm and wonderful. Reds, greens, blues, yellows – The primary spectrum, really, is given so much love here.
Flesh Tones: Natural, elegant, and perfectly rendered!
Noise/Artifacts: None.
Audio
Audio Format(s): English DTS HD-Master Audio 5.1, English DVS 2.0, French and Spanish DTS Digital Surround 5.1
Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish, Spanish
Dynamics: Bros being a comedy, is not a sound symphony for the home theater, so to speak. With that being said, the film does still manage to shine with it’s 5.1 soundtrack. The speakers remain active continuously, with an expansive soundstage playing it basically or using a Neural:X up-mixer. The highlights of course come from the music score and the source cues.
Low Frequency Extension: Bros does excel with its LFE though. Deep hard bass comes anytime music dictates the need and will definitely vibrate your floors when it’s used.
Surround Sound Presentation: Surround channels are filled with crowds, clubs, restaurants, and museums. Of course, music also makes an appearance in those channels, and they all shine, complimenting what’s happening on screen.
Dialogue Reproduction: Dialogue is presented perfectly throughout.
Extras 
Bros comes home via Universal Pictures Home Entertainment/SDS in a “collector’s edition” with a slipcover, DVD and digital code in addition to the Blu-ray. Features are a nice addition to this edition, with some meaty supplements that coincide nicely with the film.
- Deleted Scenes run about 14-15 minutes and could’ve comfortably fit in the runtime, even if they would’ve made the film long like most Judd Apatow productions. I would not complain if they were in the film because, simply put, they’re hilarious…
- Gag Reel (HD, 4:05) – The gag reel is funny, but is pretty mild as far as gag reels go.
- Representation Matters (HD, 5:11) – A talking head interview piece about LGBTQ people being represented in films, and how this film is an opportunity to present people of the community in a way that hasn’t been done before.
- From Start To Finish (HD, 13:17) – The film from its genesis to its completion, as told by cast and crew.
- Introducing Bobby and Aaron (HD, 5:54) – The main characters explained!
- The Cast and the Cameos (HD, 8:24) – The cast and cameos are majority LGBTQ, except for some meta cameos used for a big laugh reminiscent to The Past Lives Pavilion sequence in the criminally underrated film Defending Your Life. The list is long and impressive, from Jim Rash, Harvey Fierstein and Dot-Marie Jones to TS Madison and Guillermo Diaz.
- The Art of the Rom-Com with Billy and Nick (HD, 3:52) – The cast and crew show love to Eichner and Stoller, a match made in Rom-Com heaven.
- The BROS National LGBTQIA+ History Museum (HD, 5:52) – A quick piece about the museum within the movie.
- The Making of a Deleted Scene – Presented In HD and totaling just over 6 minutes, there are 2 scenes to choose from – The making of Pride Fight and Working Out. Both are worth a look.
Summary
Full disclosure here – I was offered the chance to review Bros and never actually received the copy to do said review. As Craig’s dad Mr. Jones (from Friday) would say – “You win some, you lose some, but you live!” – After receiving the film as a Christmas gift, I was excited to watch it, and the ideas I had going into the first viewing were so far exceeded. The film is funny and sweet and predictable. What makes Bros special is not that it’s the “first LGBTQ+ romantic comedy from a major studio…” The special feeling comes from the cast being predominantly LGBTQ+, and the story, dialogue and characters being self-effacing, and still somehow so endearing, relatable, and ultimately hysterical. It’s special too to see a movie with a mostly LGBTQ+ cast that isn’t about historical struggle, the hardships we’ve all read, seen or personally experienced, or homophobia in a large capacity either. Unfortunately, the marketing wasn’t focused on the breath of fresh air the film actually is. We also can’t forget the uncomfortable truth that a lot of the country we live in simply aren’t ready to just accept that there are far fewer differences in our separate communities than there are believed to be. I am very proud to be the queer voice of Whysoblu, and it’s a privilege to me personally to be able to share my view on films with you and my incredible colleagues. I love to write about all types of films: new, old, funny, scary or action packed. I have even greater pride when I can share my thoughts a movie that I believe represents a community so many people still can’t or don’t want to understand. In the end, Bros receives my highest, unbiased recommendation, with the hopes that the physical media fans who take the time to read our articles can look at this film with open minds, and revel in how they can see themselves in the characters in this film. This is an excellent, already underrated comedy that will hopefully find more love on disc or with streaming.
