"Bros" revolutionary but also screamingly funny and swooningly sweet

Bros (2022)

How can a romantic comedy make long-overdue cinematic history in 2022? By breaking the lavender ceiling and being the first gay romantic comedy theatrically released by a major studio, of course, where every role (yes, even the straight ones) is played by an open LGBTQ+ actor. More than that revolutionary fact, “Bros” is screamingly funny and swooningly sweet, and a much-needed celebration of queer history and contributions to the community without feeling condescending or preachy. As proven here, not every story of non-heteronormative representation has to be tragic.

Known for his irresistible pop-culture game show “Billy on the Street” show and three seasons of Hulu’s hilariously acerbic “Difficult People,” Billy Eichner co-wrote the script with director Nicholas Stoller (“Neighbors,” “Forgetting Sarah Marshall”) and stars in the Meg Ryan/Sandra Bullock/Julia Roberts role, too. Eichner plays Bobby Lieber, a single but self-reliant 40-year-old author and podcaster living in New York City. He once auditioned for “Queer Eye” and turned down a Hollywood job to write a gay romantic comedy in settling the notion that gay and straight relationships are the same (Bobby retorts, “not all gay people are nice”). Now on the board of The National Museum LGBTQ+ History + Culture Museum as the resident cis white male, Billy has found his purpose. Though successful in his career, he’s tired of shallow Grindr hookups. Then, one night at a gay club surrounded by a sea of hot chiseled men, he spots Aaron (Luke Macfarlane), a hunky, masculine estate planner who may be smarter and a lot less boring than the “gay Tom Brady” Bobby thinks he is. Bobby wouldn’t seem to be Aaron’s type, either, but despite their differences and hang-ups, maybe these two commitment phobes can make it.

“Bros” manages to be specific yet accessible to all kinds of audiences. There’s a ring of truth here to how any queer person can feel “too faggy" or “not butch enough,” as well as to the repetitive hook-up language ("Hey, what's up?") and even the awkward entrance of a fourth squeezing into a threesome. Billy Eichner and director Nicholas Stoller's script is self-aware enough while still playing into romantic-comedy tropes that feel honest and perceptive. It’s always refreshing when characters act in character and not as plot propellers, and that’s how it goes with Bobby and Aaron even when they have their temporary falling-out that you know is coming. The script also knocks on so many cinematic gay stories (most of them ending tragically) casting straight actors and it's very clear-eyed about the idea of masculinity even within the gay community. Laugh-out-loud moments include satirical digs at “Queer Eye” and progressive holiday movies on the Hallmark Channel (“A Holly, Poly Christmas”), but also a dinner scene between Bobby, Aaron, and Aaron’s family at a restaurant with Broadway-singing waiters that is so perfectly timed. 

The film works as a great showcase for Billy Eichner’s unapologetic, irrepressible presence, much like how "Trainwreck" was for Amy Schumer. A tall glass of intense energy, Eichner is caustic and sardonic in ways that some may find abrasive, but he can deliver a rapid-fire one-liner like a pro and he’s never not himself 100%. As the out-and-proud Bobby, Eichner is also not all pop culture-spouting and cynical honesty; a story Bobby tells Aaron about his self-confidence is something many gay men will find relatable. Amusingly, Luke Macfarlane (2021’s “Single All the Way”) is a Hallmark Channel hunk, and as Aaron, he is extremely charming beyond being easy on the eyes. Underneath his buff-bro exterior and Garth Brooks fandom is actually a man with a vulnerable side, and he’s supremely unhappy in his job when all he ever wanted was to start a business as a chocolatier. As a couple, Eichner and Macfarlane are adorable and sexy together, and it’s their chemistry and the details in their relationship that break the mold.

Directed by Nicholas Stoller, “Bros” feels polished in a way some Judd Apatow-produced comedies are not. Although a revolving door of notable queer actors and comedians turn up—there’s Harvey Feuerstein in Provincetown, Guy Branum in the Judy Greer role, and Miss Lawrence, TS Madison and Dot-Marie Jones as some of Bobby’s museum board members—no scene ever goes on too long or comes off overly indulgent. Bowen Yang is a riot as a wealthy museum benefactor who conceives of “a gay trauma coaster,” and ally Debra Messing even gets a very funny extended cameo, playing a heightened version of herself (and not Grace Adler).

The wheel is not being reinvented in “Bros,” and yet, it’s not like we haven’t given a pass to this same formula before. It winds up being a pretty standard romantic comedy, only between two men (what a concept!). Making it special is how the formula gets spiked with a fresh personality and point-of-view. While straight audiences could criticize it for being too gay and queer audiences will say it’s not gay enough, “Bros” more than meets in the middle. The straights get one of these all the time, and it’s not only a “first” for the mainstream but a smart, funny, and romantic winner. 

Grade: B +

Universal Pictures is releasing “Bros” (115 min.) in theaters on September 30, 2022.