Half Brothers Review: A Ridiculous Premise Leads to Plenty of Laughs and Heartfelt Moments

Release date: December 4, 2020

Running time: 96 minutes
Starring: Luis Gerardo Méndez, Connor Del Rio, Juan Pablo Espinosa
Directed By: Luke Greenfield

Renato (Méndez), a successful Mexican aviation executive, is shocked to discover he has an American half brother he never knew about, the free-spirited Asher (Del Rio). The two very different half brothers are forced on a road journey together masterminded by their ailing father, tracing the path their father took as an immigrant from Mexico to the US.

Half Brothers has a ridiculous story, but thankfully it is also a sweet one.  It has some bittersweet moments as it details how these two brothers came to be, but ultimately has plenty of sugar to soften your heart.  The story starts with a fun plane motif that dips in and loops around throughout this film, and it is one that ultimately is a nice anchor for the overall movie.  But film also has some great characters to accompany these sweet moments and fun aviation theme.  The stars of the movie are Renato (Méndez) and his half brother Asher (Del Rio), along with their father Flavio (Espinosa).  Méndez was great as the older brother, with the perfect combination of serious personality and humor due to his no filter statements.  Del Rio as Asher was also fantastic, although he was more of an acquired taste.  This is nothing against Del Rio, as he did an amazing job as Asher and exactly what he needed to.  But that character was more grating at the start and slowly grew on you, as family often does.  And Espinosa as the father, Flavio, was another perfect casting choice, with a sweet, loving demeaner.

Half Brothers starts with some loving scenes that instantly get you invested in the characters before adding the crazy part of the premise.  And the premise of the film is one of pure ridiculousness, but one that allows for some wild experiences, laugh out loud situations, and ultimately sweet moments and lessons.  The dynamic between the two brothers, especially at first, is a very funny one that highlights their differences, but also brings in some stereotypes about both America and Mexico that were poignant and funny.  You can tell that they had a lot of fun filming this and throwing light hearted shade on both countries in the process.  And as the brother's relationship changes, and they learn more and more about what their father has been up to, it really becomes a fun movie with two very different, but ultimately complementary main characters.  The pair get into a lot of random trouble, which leads to some very funny scenes.  Some of these seem to just be inserted for random laughs, and they ultimately accomplish that.  And the movie also has a ridiculous, but ultimately satisfying ending.  And throughout this all, there is some truly beautiful music to pull at your heartstrings at the right times.  

Half Brothers has a ridiculous premise, two very likeable stars, and enough laugh out loud and heartfelt moments to make you feel like you're part of this loving, crazy family.

Watch it.

If you liked this review and want to see more from Watch or Pass, please consider 

following us on our various social media platforms: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Youtube. 

Half Brothers is in theaters and premium video on demand December 4.

 

For additional information about the film and to rent / buy it, check it out at the links below.

This site contains affiliate links. //Commerce or this site may be compensated when you click through links on our site.