Half Brothers movie review

MOVIE TITLE: HALF BROTHERS

In theaters December 4, 2020

RATING: PG-13

LENGTH: 1 hour, 32 minutes

Movie Review Mom GRADE: C+

IN A NUTSHELL:

Directed by Luke Greenfield, this comedic bromance movie is about a road trip with two guys, one in America and the other in Mexico, who didn’t know each other existed. Personally, I have a half brother, but I definitely know he exists. The movie looks at that nuanced relationship in a fairly effective way mixed with some humor and lots of drama.

Thank you to Focus Features for inviting me to the virtual screener so I could watch this and give you the scoop. I wouldn’t race out to the theater to see this if I were you, but it’s entertaining enough that you might want to check it out when it goes to streaming, which should be pretty soon after its theatrical release.

TIPS FOR PARENTS:

A father lets his son drink beer.
Subtitles in Spanish
Some profanity in Spanish.
Name-calling

THEMES:

Immigration policies that tear families apart
Family, parenting, brotherhood, siblings
“Always try to see things from a different perspective.” – Evaristo
Entitled Americans
Infidelity
Don’t give up on people.
Empathy
Regrets
Connection
There’s nothing wrong with being different.
USA/Mexico strained relations
Choices and consequences

THINGS I LIKED:

The half brothers are played by Luis Gerardo Mendez and Connor Del Rio. They really do look like they could be half-brothers! They also looked like they had a blast making the movie.
The cast also includes Jose Zuniga and many other actors unfamiliar to most American audiences.
The goat is completely unnecessary but pretty hilarious.
I liked the mystery of following the clues that Evaristo, the dad, left for his sons.
The pacing is pretty good with a new clue in the mystery leading us along.

THINGS I DIDN’T LIKE:

As a comedy, it’s not as funny as I had hoped or as the movie poster suggests. As a drama, I never shed a tear or got the feels in a significant way.
The plot felt pretty forced.
We’ve seen this type of story before, so the ending is very predictable.
The backstory feels like a telenovela.
There are a few running gags throughout the film and are supposed to be funny, but they kind of fall flat.
Multi-cultural stereotypes.
It’s hard to sympathize with or even like the father after he has abandoned both of his sons and traumatized their childhood.

FUNNY LINES:

* “If I lived in Mexico, I’d go zip-lining every day. Do you zip-line?” – American Uber driver “No.” – Renato Murguia (Luis Gerardo Mendez) “Then why do you live in Mexico?” – American Uber driver