Bros is the funniest movie I’ve seen in 2022. I’m not qualifying that. It’s not just the funniest LGBTQ film in 2022. It’s not just the funniest politically left-leaning film on 2022. BROS IS THE FUNNIEST FILM I’VE SEEN IN 2022.
And I see a lot of films.
There is a whole world of gay sex I know very little about. The reason is simple: sad to say, I don’t find men sexually attractive. I don’t have a problem with anybody who does. But to me, it’s like country music, squash, or “The Real Housewives of ________;” that is to say it’s something I don’t choose, naturally enjoy, or have developed a taste for. And until Bros, I cannot say I ever truly enjoyed a sex scene involving men, men, and only men.
BTW, Bros is rated R and it’s a hard R for parents who shield their children from sex. Nothing in the film is explicit, but unless you want to entertain questions well past bedtime, I wouldn’t go there.
Is Bros an LGTBQ film? Yes, most definitely.
Does it have LGBTQ sex? Yes, most definitely.
Is it explicit? No. It’s mostly implied with boytoys wearing their boxer-briefs to bed.
Will that matter to homophobes? Not one little bit.
Will that matter to you? Only if you’re in the mood for pornography and got comedy instead.
Look, this wasn’t the whole film; Bros has a lot to offer besides sex, but you should know what you’re getting into.
Irascible and Eeyore-ish podcaster Bobby Lieber (Writer/star Billy Eichner) is forty and has never been in love. That makes me so sad. Everyone should experience young love at least once, y’know? I’m not sure if this is exactly why his attitude is constantly cynical, but it’s not NOT the reason, either. Like many gay men, he’s bearish on gay culture and indulges anyway because, quite frankly, what’s the alternative?
He identifies as “CIS white gay male,” which I cannot tell if it’s a joke or not. Part of the fun the film has is distinguishing among the L, G, B, T, & Q in LGBTQ, but the idea that it isn’t good enough to present yourself as part of the club –while honest- seems self-defeating to somebody like me who is not part of the club and sees what the club endures on a regular basis. Oh, but Bros has an excellent understanding of when self-identification becomes alienating: take the otherwise throw-away moment when a gay couple announces to their friends they’ve acquired a third, much younger, partner mostly for the purposes of sexual satisfaction. The film then leaps into an imagined scene where the older member of the couple announces this to grandparents, who, in turn, are elated. I’m still laughing about this moment.
Bobby has quasi-satisfactory sexual encounters via Grindr which leads to another hilarious moment in which a potential affair requires an ass pic prior to acceptance. 45 minutes later … “BLOCKED!?”
A dance club replete with wall-to-wall shirtless gay men is where Bobby meets Aaron (Luke Macfarlane). Like most of the men in the club, Aaron is poster material. Is he too good for Bobby? What can a cynical podcaster/museum curator offer in this relationship? Is Bobby too good for Aaron? Who wants to be stuck with an 
estate lawyer? Truthfully, these are the insecurities of any two people falling in love. It doesn’t really matter who is in the relationship; falling in love contains both wonder and self-doubt. This film has plenty of both.
Great film is great film is great film. I emerged from Bros thinking of it as the LGBTQ When Harry Met Sally, but that isn’t fair – once again, a CIS white male is viewing a minority offering only through a lens of CIS white maledom, which is wrong. Unfortunately, it’s the only lens I have, so I’m going to finish up anyway. I loved Bros. I thought it was hilarious. I thought the relationships were unique, meaningful, and very memorable, especially the main one between Bobby and Aaron. I fault this film only on the count that it took too long to find Bobby endearing; I’m guessing some viewers never will; his irascibility never quite ebbs completely.
For final perspective, I speak to you as somebody who was tepid on both Philadelphia and Brokeback Mountain. Bros is wonderful film. Period. IMHO, it is a giant step towards normalizing LGBTQ relationships and issues (assuming there is value in such), not because of subject matter, but because the subject matter was combined with a damn good script. This film can be enjoyed by anyone. Well, anyone adult; I don’t think this is meant for the kids.
Gay men host the show of shows
Delighting all from Swedes to Eskimos
There’s joy in the gifting
Guaranteed uplifting
Because we all know it’s: “Bros before woes”
Rated R, 115 Minutes
Director: Nicholas Stoller
Writer: Billy Eichner, Nicholas Stoller
Genre: Groundbreaking
Type of being most likely to enjoy this film: LGBTQ
Type of being least likely to enjoy this film: Homophobes
