We’re happy when any new romantic comedy comes to the big screen. BROS represents something different, and that makes us more excited than usual. This comedy is a collaboration between comedian Billy Eichner, perhaps best known for his hilarious improvised series "Billy on the Street," and director Nicholas Stoller, known for movies like FORGETTING SARAH MARSHALL and NEIGHBORS.
Any rom-com is a relatively rare experience on the big screen, especially lately, but a gay rom-com along the lines of BROS is virtually nonexistent. That makes the movie stand out from minute one. What really draws us in is Eichner‘s personality and comedic talent, and the strong guiding hands of his collaborators. If you haven’t already seen the very funny trailer for BROS, take a look below, and will tell you more about the movie.
Watch the Bros Trailer
Eichner is front and center in this trailer, which sets up his perpetually-single character and the buff, athletic (and equally emotionally unavailable) lawyer who steals his heart. The "he's out of my league" angle is familiar, and it's fun to see the movie playing with core rom-com conventions while also aiming a few jokes at various communities.
Beyond anything else, this trailer sets up a good, funny romance, and that's what we want from a romantic comedy! BROS even references one of the classics, WHEN HARRY MET SALLY. That reference is more than superficial, too, as this new movie features music from Marc Shaiman, the acclaimed songwriter who also produced and arranged music for WHEN HARRY MET SALLY.
Bringing A Comedic Voice To The Big Screen
Eichner and director Nicholas Stoller co-wrote the screenplay, and by all accounts, Stoller's efforts are successful in facilitating the blow-up of Eichner's comic personality to movie size. This isn't Eichner's first time on the big screen, of course, but most of his roles have been voice acting in animated movies (THE LION KING, THE ANGRY BIRDS MOVIE). He did appear in Stoller's NEIGHBORS 2, however, perhaps teeing up this collaboration.
The general tone of Eichner's comedy is well-suited for a classic rom-com lead, too. On "Billy on the Street" he could be manic, confrontational, and impatient — all in the service of creating unpredictable and fast-paced real-world encounters. The same qualities are muted in BROS, but the central voice of Eichner's comedy remains consistent.
Part of that voice, of course, is Eichner's vibrant representation of gay life. It's a core aspect of "Billy on the Street," and is central to BROS, too. And while the movie even features a meta aspect in which the main character is courted to write a mainstream gay rom-com, there's a real heart at the center of this movie — and that makes BROS more than a meta-satire.
BROS opens on September 30.
All images courtesy of Universal Pictures.