By John Corrado

Please note that this is a review of the Blu-ray release of Bros. For my full thoughts on the film itself, you can read my original review from TIFF right here.

Following its world premiere at TIFF and release in theatres at the end of September, the Judd Apatow-produced rom-com Bros is now arriving on Blu-ray and DVD this week.

Billy Eichner stars in Bros as Bobby Lieber, a gay podcaster in New York who has closed himself off to the idea of serious relationships, when he meets Aaron (Luke Macfarlane), a ripped gym bro who forces him to rethink his “no dating” policy.

Directed by Nicholas Stoller (Forgetting Sarah Marshall), from a screenplay co-written by Eichner, Bros is romantic comedy that reminds us just how satisfying the classic rom-com formula can be when done right. Eichner’s script offers an authentic portrait of gay male relationships that is often very funny, but also has a sweet emotional centre to it.

The film didn’t do as well in theatres as many of us had hoped (a variety of factors seem to be at play for its failure to launch at the box office, though I won’t point fingers), so I hope it finds more of an audience now that it’s available for at-home viewing. The Blu-ray is also arriving just in time for Christmas, with part of the film taking place over the holidays.

Film Rating: ★★★½ (out of 4)

Bonus Features (Blu-ray):

The Blu-ray boasts over an hour of bonus material, from deleted scenes to several featurettes. A regular DVD is also included in the package, which ships with a slipcover.

• Deleted Scenes (Play All – 13 minutes, 41 seconds): Some of these moments (Pride Fight and Steroid Workout) are a bit too goofy and wouldn’t have really worked in the finished film, though Senior Centre is quite amusing.

• Alt First Date (48 seconds)

• Nipple Plumpers (4 minutes, 19 seconds)

• Calling Peter, Paul and Marty (38 seconds)

• Pride Fight (3 minutes)

• Steroid Workout (1 minute, 17 seconds)

• Bro Workout (1 minute, 38 seconds)

• Senior Centre (1 minute, 59 seconds)

• Gag Reel (4 minutes, 2 seconds): A pretty typical gag reel.

• Representation Matters (5 minutes, 11 seconds): Stoller talks about his dream of doing a big gay studio rom-com, the importance of casting openly gay leads, and the decision to work with a cast of LGBTQ-identified actors, including in the “straight” roles.

• From Start to Finish (13 minutes, 17 seconds): A good overview of the film from conception to completion, with Stoller and Eichner talking about making a gay romantic comedy for a major studio.

• Introducing Bobby and Aaron (5 minutes, 54 seconds): A deeper look at the two main characters, and how the film tackles ideas around masculinity.

• The Cast and the Cameos (8 minutes, 24 seconds): Focuses on the scene-stealing supporting players in the film, and the handful of celebrity cameos.

• The Art of the Rom-Com with Billy and Nick (3 minutes, 52 seconds): Stoller and the cast talk about the classic rom-com tropes, and how they utilized them here in a fresh way.

• The Bros National LGBTQIA+ Natural History Museum (5 minutes, 56 seconds): Looks at the fictional LGBTQ+ history museum Eichner’s character is planning. Eichner comments on how no such museum existed when he was writing the film, with the production designers transforming the Newark Museum of Art as a stand-in.

• The Making of a Deleted Scene (Play All – 6 minutes, 18 seconds): Takes us behind the scenes of two set-pieces that got cut from the final film, with Stoller admitting they were a little goofier than the movie wound up being.

• Pride Fight: The Making Of (3 minutes, 23 seconds)

• Working Out: The Making Of (2 minutes, 52 seconds)

Bros is a Universal Pictures Home Entertainment release. It’s 116 and rated 14A.

Street Date: December 20th, 2022