Netflix’s Little Brother might be predictable, but John Cena and Eric Andre’s undeniable chemistry makes it a whole lot of fun to watch.
If you are looking for a fun comedy to enjoy on a weekend night with your friends or significant other, then Little Brother is for you. On paper, this is a very silly, very predictable movie, but it is the comedic chemistry between John Cena (Rudd) and Eric Andre (Marcus) that make this more than worth a watch.
When Rudd is called to the hospital because his brother has been in an accident, he never expects to see Marcus, his little brother from the Big Brother-Little Brother program, lying in the bed. Since he has nowhere else to go, Rudd’s wife, Deirdre (Michelle Monaghan), convinces him to let Marcus stay with them while he is healing. I am sure you can guess where this is going, and you will be one hundred percent correct.
Marcus might mean well, but he is going through a lot. He is clingy and thinks that he and Rudd are brothers for life, despite not having spoken in years. Rudd has just gotten the big break he has been waiting for, a role on a reality TV show, but now with Marcus in his life, things turn upside down for him pretty quickly.
The reason that Little Brother works as well as it does is hands down because of the two lead performances. Eric Andre is hilarious. He is a comedic genius. Many people know this. But John Cena’s comedy usually flies under the radar. That man is funny, even when he is trying to play the straight man. That is why the two of them are so good together in this movie. They play off one another. I was cackling all throughout the movie, even though I knew exactly what the general plot points were going to be.
The supporting actors do a brilliant job as well. Ego Nwodim and Caleb Hearon are perfectly cast as the Reality TV series team. They add a certain element to the film, and to several scenes in particular, that take things to the next level. I am not sure how they remained straight faced through certain lines, but they pulled it off.
On top of that, Sherry Cola is always incredible. She knows when to dial up or dial down the humor. She plays Mia, Rudd’s assistant, who clearly has an attraction towards Marcus. I don’t want to give too much away, even though you will likely figure it out for yourself, but she steps into this role perfectly. She brings the emotion when she needs to, and even with just a few small glances and looks, she solidifies who this character is early on.
Little Brother doesn’t break the mold at all. It delivers exactly what you expect from it, but that is not necessarily a bad thing. At the center of this movie are John Cena and Eric Andre, and their on-screen chemistry is what helps it to stand out among the many similar comedies. I can only imagine how much fun they had while filming, because watching them in this movie is an absolute blast.
Rating: 7 out of 10
About Little Brother
A famous real estate agent’s carefully curated world is upended when his eccentric “little brother” unexpectedly reappears.
Little Brother comes to Netflix on June 26th.
