Bros

By Joanna Langfield

Billy Eichner’s gay romantic comedy is a lot of things. It’s funny, it’s sweet, it’s bold and it is purposely very much of the moment. And while some may celebrate its very existence, what I appreciated the most were some of the quieter, more unexpected notes, observations that don’t take a pass on the truth of LGBTQ+ life as it is, right now.

Eichner, best known for his hilarious Billy on the Street series, co-wrote this sort of non-formulaic rom-com with director Nicholas Stoller. Maybe it’s thanks to his warts and all acting, but this movie feels as if it is very much Eichner, a 40 Something CIS gay Jewish New Yorker, smart and funny, successful and maybe just a bit tough around the edges. Here, as Bobby, he is a media celebrity, a confessional podcaster who’s afraid of commitment. That is, until he meets Aaron, a man who appears to be his polar opposite. Except Aaron’s afraid of commitment, too. Can these two confirmed bachelors ever find true love?

You know the answer. But it’s some of what happens along the way that makes this more relevant than the standard will-they-or-wont-they romp. Mention is made of a whole bunch of stuff, maybe too much, but it’s nice that they’re trying. And I found the look at some men’s reliance on steroids, poppers, and talking too much ambitious and surprising, adding a touch of grit to what is otherwise a feel good package, spun decidedly for today.