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12 September 2022

Billy Eichner’s gay rom-com Bros receives glowing reviews following world premiere

"Come for the gay sex and romance, stay for a Renée Zellweger joke for the ages," a critic shared.

By Emily Maskell

Words: Emily Maskell; pictures: Universal

Labeled Hollywood’s ‘first studio-produced gay-centric rom-com’, Bros has a big responsibility on its shoulders. 

Premiering over the weekend at the Toronto International Film Festival, the groundbreaking film was co-written by Eichner and the film’s director Nick Stoller making the former the first openly gay man to write and star in a major Hollywood movie.

Bros follows the sweet pairing of Bobby (Eichner) and Aaron (Brothers & Sisters‘ Luke Macfarlane) as they navigate exactly how their relationship will take shape as obstacles keep knocking them off course. 

Scoring a solid 85% from the early Rotten Tomato critic reviews, Bros is in good stead ahead of the film’s cinematic release.

“I loved BROS so much,” one critic shared. “Funny, heartfelt, slightly savage, our You’ve Got Mail and more. Come for the gay sex and romance, stay for a Renée Zellweger joke for the ages.”

Another praised the film for having “a lot of heart,” adding: “it will be a stronger contender to win the People’s Choice Award. Billy Eichner is a lock for a Globe nod & I know Luke Macfarlane has been around for a while, but he’s a star in the making.”

“Bros is brilliant with a script that is so smart & hilarious that it will require multiple viewings in order to catch all of the jokes. Nicholas Stoller’s best film since Forgetting Sarah Marshall and Billy Eichner needs to start writing the sequel right now.”

In Eichner’s press interviews ahead of the film’s screening, Eichner was outspoken in his pride for this film being revolutionary for its theatrical release. However, some viewed him comments to be shading the films that debuted on streaming platforms like Joel Kim Booster’s Fire Island which was released on Hulu/Disney+ in June.

Eichner issued a public apology in which he clarified that he was not refering to the quality of streaming films but the way “that, historically, LGBTQ+ content has often been considered niche and disregarded by Hollywood.”

Joel Kim Booster shared that he and Eichner have cleared the air and that he doesn’t want people to pit the films against each other. 

Speaking to Attitude back in May, Eichner spoke to the fact it is only now we’re getting a studio-produced gay rom-com: “I’m surprised but I’m not surprised because Hollywood has often been such a hypocritical and LGBTQ phobic place. But I’m happy that we’re here now.

“And it is a really big sign of progress that the same studio releasing Jurassic World and the Fast and the Furious movies and all these huge global franchises are releasing this very R-rated gay rom-com with as much enthusiasm and passion as they released those movies. That’s a really big step.”

Bros is set for release on 28 October in the UK.

The Attitude September/October issue is out now.

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