bro movie review rating 2023

Log in or sign up for Rotten Tomatoes

Trouble logging in?

By continuing, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from the Fandango Media Brands .

By creating an account, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from Rotten Tomatoes and to receive email from the Fandango Media Brands .

By creating an account, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from Rotten Tomatoes.

Email not verified

Let's keep in touch.

Sign up for the Rotten Tomatoes newsletter to get weekly updates on:

• Upcoming Movies and TV shows
• Trivia & Rotten Tomatoes Podcast
• Media News + More

By clicking "Sign Me Up," you are agreeing to receive occasional emails and communications from Fandango Media (Fandango, Vudu, and Rotten Tomatoes) and consenting to Fandango's Privacy Policy and Terms and Policies . Please allow 10 business days for your account to reflect your preferences.

OK, got it!

Movies / TV

No results found.

• What's the Tomatometer®?
• Login/signup

Movies in theaters

• Opening this week
• Top box office
• Coming soon to theaters
• Certified fresh movies

Movies at home

• Fandango at Home
• Netflix streaming
• Prime Video
• Most popular streaming movies
• What to Watch New

Certified fresh picks

• Hit Man Link to Hit Man
• Am I OK? Link to Am I OK?
• Jim Henson Idea Man Link to Jim Henson Idea Man

New TV Tonight

• Star Wars: The Acolyte: Season 1
• Ren Faire: Season 1
• Sweet Tooth: Season 3
• Clipped: Season 1
• Queenie: Season 1
• Mayor of Kingstown: Season 3
• Becoming Karl Lagerfeld: Season 1
• Criminal Minds: Season 17
• Power Book II: Ghost: Season 4
• Erased: WW2's Heroes of Color: Season 1

Most Popular TV on RT

• Eric: Season 1
• House of the Dragon: Season 2
• Evil: Season 4
• Dark Matter: Season 1
• Tires: Season 1
• Star Wars: Ahsoka: Season 1
• Best TV Shows
• Most Popular TV
• TV & Streaming News

Certified fresh pick

• Star Wars: The Acolyte: Season 1 Link to Star Wars: The Acolyte: Season 1
• All-Time Lists
• Binge Guide
• Comics on TV
• Five Favorite Films
• Video Interviews
• Weekend Box Office
• Weekly Ketchup
• What to Watch

Netflix’s 100 Best Movies Right Now (June 2024)

The Bad Boys Movies Ranked by Tomatometer

What to Watch: In Theaters and On Streaming

Movie Re-Release Calendar 2024: Your Guide to Movies Back In Theaters

Vote For the Best Movie of 1999 – Round 4

• Trending on RT
• The Acolyte First Reviews
• Vote: 1999 Movie Showdown
• The Watchers

Bro Reviews

Barring the occasional fun banter between uncle-nephew duo Pawan Kalyan and Sai Dharam Tej, director Samuthirakani’s Telugu film Bro, written by Trivikram Srinivas, is drab.

Full Review | Sep 12, 2023

BRO could’ve been the poignant tale of a man who had to grow up a little too fast and, in the process, forgets to make the most of his life. What you get instead is a film that loses steam as it progresses.

Full Review | Jul 31, 2023

The intentions are all noble, but the haphazard making and treatment hold this Pawan Kalyan-Sai Dharam Tej film back.

BRO does suffer in several aspects, and I couldn’t help but wish for a more superior handling of its impactful theme and emotion. But, the film manages to entertain, and Pawan Kalyan’s titanic screen presence alone makes it worth the ticket price.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Jul 30, 2023

• Movie Reviews

BRO (2023) Movie: What's Behind

BRO directed by Samuthirakhani generated immense interest among movie lovers as it stars Power Star Pawan Kalyan in the role of Time God. With Pawan Kalyan lining up the project to propel his nephew Sai Dharam Tej who met with an accident last year, people got emotionally connected. Trivikram known for his witty dialogues provided screenplay for the film. The film hit the screens today and let us find out whether BRO offered a blast at the box office. The film's OTT rights have been bagged by Netflix for a fancy sum.

BRO Movie: Story Review

BRO story is all about a youngster who always runs after materialistic pleasures ahead of relations and how he deals with it when he faces the hard reality. Young Mark aka Markandeyulu (Sai Dharam Tej), works so hard as the manager in a company in Hyderabad so much so that he doesn't have time to spend with his family comprising of his mother (Rohini), sister Veena (Priya Prakash Varrier) and another sister and brother and also his lover Ramya (Ketika Sharma).

However, he gets a shock of his life while he was returning from Vizag to Hyderabad to celebrate his B-Day which brings him face to face with Time God (Pawan Kalyan). Where this leads, what are the consequences from the rest of the proceedings?

BRO Movie: Artists Review

Pawan Kalyan as the Time God turned out to be the centre of attraction. He with his powerful screen presence carried the film on his shoulders. His entertaining mannerisms and hilarious scenes along with serious powerful dialogues loaded with intense messages to society turned out to be the pillar of the story. Pawan with his electrifying performance added energy to the film's proceedings.

Sai Dharam Tej looked good as a youngster who turns out to be a workaholic due to circumstances so much so that he doesn't spend time with his family and becomes a kind of dictator. But his get-up as the elderly person looked good and gave scope for the memes fest. Sai Dharam Tej is yet to recover completely from the deadly accident he met last year. He looked out of shape physically and psychologically. He even failed to come up with normal dance moves also.  It seems that he did the film only to be in the reckoning and now he has taken a good decision to take a break to regain his normal self.

Ketika Sharma is ok in the role of Sai Dharam Tejk's lover. She got limited screen presence. Priya Prakash Varrier also got confined to a few scenes. Others like Vennela Kishore, Brahmanandam, and Tanikella Bharani got blink-and-miss roles. Samuthirakhani played an important role and he is fine but his makeup looked odd.

BRO Movie: Technicians Review

The story of BRO readied by Samuthirakani is about a youngster who seeks time from God to set everything for his family in a stipulated time frame. The film is the remake of Vinodhaya Sitham. Trivikram Srinivas provided the screenplay and dialogues for the film. Trivikram Srinivas concentrated only on elevating the heroism of Pawan Kalyan by highlighting his mannerisms, style, and swag and making him dance to his chartbuster songs from his previous films.

In the process, emotions took a back seat. However, the first half offers a full feast to the fans with a lot of entertainment. The first half ends with an emotional interval scene setting the tone for the second half. The entire second half depended on taking the scenes to another level with powerful emotions. But with entertainment taking the backseat and emotions failing to get elevated, the second half slides down in no time, with routine elements. For some reason, one gets a feeling that Trivikram's mark went missing and it seems that he lost interest in coming with powerful and intense emotions.

Trivikram's screenplay failed on the emotional front while it is high on the entertainment. Samuthirakhani's story is extremely emotional and he tried his best to do justice with his direction. But the change in the script and turning the protagonist to a youngster instead of a 40-50 year old person in the original, backfired completely. Thambiramaiah came out with powerful emotions to connect chords with the movie lovers and Sai DharamTej for all his effort, failed to do so. The complete change of God of Time to an entertaining one to elevate Pawan's heroism may attract his fans but Pawan just dancing to his chartbuster songs and imitating his own mannerisms, puts off movie lovers as they diluted the emotions.

Thaman failed to entertain with his music. None of the songs are entertaining and appealing. It seems he just passed through the motions. His background music is ok but at times it is loud. The cinematography of Sujith Vassudevan beautified the film and is colorful on the screen. He captured the visuals in a good manner. Naveen Nooli's editing is just ok. While the first half is passable, the second half is full of repetitive scenes that impacted the pace of the film. The production values of People Media Factory are good.

BRO Movie: Advantages

• Pawan Kalyan
• Few Entertaining Scenes

BRO Movie: Disadvantages

• Missing Emotions
• Predictable Narration

BRO Movie: Rating Analysis

Altogether, BRO is just an average entertainer even for Pawan Kalyan's fans. For all the hype with Trivikram Srinivas providing script, screenplay, and dialogues to Samuthirakhani's story, BRO diluted the essence and emotions of the original Vinodhaya Sitham. It comes as a shocker that Trivikram came up with such substandard dialogues and screenplay, only making Pawan Kalyan dance to his previous chartbuster songs. Taking movie lovers and even fans for granted will boomerang and backfire sooner than later. One shouldn't be under the misconception that people throng theatres to watch Pawan Kalyan perform his chartbuster songs again by paying huge bucks. Considering all these elements, Cinejosh goes with a 2.5 rating for BRO.

Cinejosh - A One Vision Technologies initiative, was founded in 2009 as a website for news, reviews and much more content for OTT, TV, Cinema for the Telugu population and later emerged as a one-stop destination with 24/7 updates.

Contact us     Privacy     © 2009-2023 CineJosh All right reserved.    

watch later

not interested / hide

Play Trailer

6 Best Streaming Services with Dolby Atmos

6 Best Services to Get an ESPN Free Trial

How To Watch NBC Live Without Cable | Top 5 Options

How To Watch NASCAR Without Cable in 2024

Isabella Endrinal

Bro… What happened?

What it's about

Remaking his own 2021 Tamil film, director Samuthirakani presents BRO, a Telugu adaptation that doesn’t compare to its original. The premise itself had proven potential, but instead of understanding Mark’s struggle as a breadwinner who took care of his family after the death of their father, the film offers spectacle in response. The larger-than-life, supernatural scenes could have worked, had the film dedicated them for character development (and a bit more time on the VFX). With the backing of the global giant Netflix, and the critical acclaim towards the original film, it’s a wonder how a film like BRO could end up this way.

What stands out

Add a comment, more like this in, bipoc stories, thought-provoking.

The Outlaws (2017)

Don Lee takes down gangsters in this gritty and humorous crime thriller

In the Bedroom (2001)

A strong tragic family drama where grief and regret drive retribution

Lilies (1996)

A passionate, underseen queer gem where a confession transforms into a memory play

The Proposition (2005)

The line between good and evil blurs in this dusty, gritty Outback Western

Heart Attack (2015)

Nawapol Thamrongrattanarit questions the exploitation of the gig economy in this sweet romantic comedy

The Trial of the Chicago 7 (2020)

A star-studded and riveting legal drama with a blockbuster feel.

The Guilty (2018)

A minimalist, razor-sharp thriller that will have you gasping for air.

The Long Walk Home (1990)

Two strong-willed women find support in each other through this powerful, though a bit unbalanced, drama

Open Your Eyes (1997)

The startlingly surreal Spanish psychothriller that inspired modern cult classic Vanilla Sky

Forgotten Love (2023)

The stunning third take of the classic Polish pre-war melodrama

Curated by humans, not algorithms.

© 2024 agoodmovietowatch, all rights reserved.

• Movie Schedules
• OTT and TV News

Most Viewed Articles

• Review : Sharwanand’s Manamey – Decent family drama
• Review : Navdeep’s Love Mouli – Bold but dull
• Review : Satyabhama – Appeals to Kajal fans
• Aranmanai 4 locks its OTT release date
• This is when the Rajamouli-Mahesh Babu film will release?
• Satyabhama: Massive cutout of Kajal Aggarwal erected at Sandhya theater
• Nostalgic Moment: Ajith’s wife Shalini posts lovely throwback photo with Chiranjeevi
• Kalyani Priyadarshan’s recent hit makes its pan-Indian OTT debut
• Bigg Boss OTT show-This star hero to host
• Latest update of Raghava Lawernce’s Kanchana 4 is here

Recent Posts

• సమీక్ష : ‘లవ్‌ మౌళి’ – రొటీన్ ట్రీట్మెంట్ తో సాగే ఫాంటసీ లవ్ డ్రామా !
• Review : Payal Rajput’s Rakshana – Only for a few scenes
• సమీక్ష: ‘ర‌క్ష‌ణ’ – రొటీన్ గా సాగే క్రైమ్ థ్రిల్ల‌ర్
• ‘క‌ల్కి’ ట్రైల‌ర్ రిలీజ్ కు భారీ ప్లానింగ్..?
• Latest update on Ram Charan’s Game Changer

Release Date : July 28, 2023

123telugu.com Rating : 3/5

Starring: Pawan Kalyan, Sai Dharam Tej, Priya Prakash Varrier, Ketika Sharma, Brahmanandam, Raja Chembol, Rohini Molleti, Tanikella Bharani, Urvashi Rautela

Director: Samuthirakani

Producers: T. G. Vishwa Prasad, Vivek Kuchibotla

Music Director: Thaman S

Cinematographer: Sujith Vaassudev

Editor: Naveen Nooli

Related Links : Trailer

Bro is a special film for mega fans as it marks the coming together of Pawan Kalyan and Sai Dharam Tej. The movie, directed by Samuthirakani, is a fantasy comedy-drama. Star director Trivikram penned the screenplay and dialogues. Amidst a massive fan frenzy, Bro hit the screens today, and let’s see how it is.

Markandeya, a.k.a Mark (Sai Dharam Tej), is always swamped with work, and he is the only earning member in his family. Mark is in love with Ramya (Ketika Sharma), but he neither spends time with his lady love nor his family as he has a lot of responsibilities to deal with. One day he dies in a road accident, and Mark’s soul meets Time God, a.k.a Titan (Pawan Kalyan). Mark requests Titan to give him a second chance in life so that he can fulfill his obligations. Titan gives 90 days time to Mark, and he hangs around Mark during this period. The rest of the film is about how Mark fulfills his commitments.

Plus Points:

The movie banks heavily on the performance and charm of Pawan Kalyan. The star actor is at his absolute best in Bro, and his screen presence is full on throttle. His entry scene is pure goosebumps stuff, and Pawan gave his best throughout. He evokes laughs in a few scenes with his antics. But the best part about Bro is the looks of Powerstar, which are far better than his recent flicks.

Sai Dharam Tej gives a decent performance in this fantasy drama. A few scenes between Pawan Kalyan and Sai Dharam Tej came out well, and they will appeal to mega fans. The way Pawan teases Sai Dharam Tej initially is funny.

The first half has decent moments which keep the film going. Ketika Sharma does well despite her limited screen presence. It was good to see Brahmanandam and Pawan in a single frame once again. Rohini, Ali Reza, Vennela Kishore are okay in their respective roles.

Minus Points:

The movie has a nice message which emphasizes that it is more important to live in the present than worry about the future. But this has been marred by many dull scenes. The film is weak on the emotional front as the relationship between Sai Dharam Tej’s character and his family isn’t showcased well. A few scenes looked artificial. Priya Prakash Varrier has nothing much to do in the film. Had the emotions been presented even better, the message could have been more impactful.

In order to please the fans, the director added many references of Pawan Kalyan’s old songs. Though they are enjoyable initially, they become boring after a point in time. These scenes might appeal to fans, but for others, these portions will turn out to be tedious due to their over usage. Also, the movie doesn’t have a proper flow, and even a few decent scenes lacked impact due to their placement.

Except for Bro title song, the other songs are a huge drawback in this biggie. The film’s tempo goes down further during these songs, and they add no value to the proceedings. There should have been solid drama to take things to a further level, but that didn’t happen here. A few bland scenes could have been edited out to make things interesting.

Technical Aspects:

Though Thaman’s songs aren’t great, his background score is good. The music director tried to lift many scenes through his background score. The cinematography by Sujith Vasudev is neat. The production values are fine, but the VFX works could have been a lot better. The editing is sloppy, and a few portions could have been trimmed.

Coming to the director Samuthirakani, he did a passable job with the film. His focus was more on making the film appeal to the fans, but the emotions took the beating. A few redundant scenes could have been avoided totally. Pawan did his best to gloss over the loopholes.

On the whole, Bro is a fantasy drama that relies heavily on the performance of Pawan Kalyan. The star actor’s mannerisms and style will go well with fans. Sai Dharam Tej does a neat job, and a few of his scenes with Pawan came out well. The first half has some moments going its way. But the way emotions and drama is handled is not great. A few bland scenes will bog down the impact. Bro will appeal to fans, but for others, it will end up being an okay watch. Hence it is suggested to keep your expectations in check.

123telugu.com Rating: 3/5

Reviewed by 123telugu Team

Click Here For Telugu Review

Articles that might interest you:

• Sivakarthikeyan’s new makeover for Murugadoss film
• Latest buzz on Ajith Kumar’s Vidaamuyarchi
• Sreenu Vaitla to repeat ‘Train episode’ in Viswam, deets inside

Ad : Teluguruchi - Learn.. Cook.. Enjoy the Tasty food

Thanks For Rating

Reminder successfully set, select a city.

• Nashik Times
• Aurangabad Times
• Badlapur Times

You can change your city from here. We serve personalized stories based on the selected city

• Edit Profile
• Briefs Movies TV Web Series Lifestyle Trending Medithon Visual Stories Music Events Videos Theatre Photos Gaming

Gujarati web series 'Satya' unveils intriguing motion poster starring Hiten Kumar: 'The game is set’

9 popular K-Drama actors to follow on Instagram

Ranveer Singh reveals he was secretly engaged to Deepika Padukone three years before marriage; here's what the actress hilariously called it

Koffee With Karan Season 8: Will cousins Kajol and Rani Mukerji reunite after 14 years? Here is what reports say

10 records Jung Kook broke ahead of GOLDEN album launch

Lee Dal, Song Joong Ki, Chen: Korean stars who married non-celebrity partners

Matsya Kaand - An MX Original Series

Sabka Sai - An MX Original Series

Samantar 2 - An MX Original Series

Indori Ishq - An MX Original Series

Runaway Lugaai - An MX Original Series

Ramyug - An MX Original Series

Hello Mini 3 - An MX Original Series

Bisaat - An MX Original Series

Hey Prabhu 2 - An MX Original Series

Chakravyuh - An Inspector Virkar Crime Thriller - An MX Original Series

Filmfare OTT Awards

The Legend of Hanuman

Baahubali: Crown Of Blo...

Murder In Mahim

Amber Girls School

Heeramandi: The Diamond...

Ranneeti: Balakot & Bey...

Dil Dosti Dilemma

Hitler And The Nazis: E...

Star Wars: The Acolyte

Jurassic World: Chaos T...

The Big Cigar

Dark Matter

A Man In Full

Thalaimai Seyalagam

Inspector Rishi

Cheran’s Journey

Koose Munisamy Veerappa...

Vaazhvu Thodangumidam N...

Sweet Kaaram Coffee

Modern Love Chennai

Story Of Things

Mad Company

Dead Pixels

Anger Tales

Bhoothakaalam

Keshu Ee Veedinte Nadha...

Kanakam Kamini Kalaham

Thinkalazhcha Nishchaya...

Paashbalish

Advocate Achinta Aich

Dadur Kirti

Chemistry Mashi

Jaha Bolibo Shotto Boli...

Mobaroknama

Abar Proloy

Parasyte: The Grey

Queen Of Tears

The Bequeathed

Behind Your Touch

King The Land

Barracuda Queens

Royalteen: Princess Mar...

Your rating, write a review (optional).

• Movie Listings /

Users' Reviews

Refrain from posting comments that are obscene, defamatory or inflammatory, and do not indulge in personal attacks, name calling or inciting hatred against any community. Help us delete comments that do not follow these guidelines by marking them offensive . Let's work together to keep the conversation civil.

Popular Movie Reviews

Bhaje Vaayu Vegam

Gam Gam Ganesha

Prasanna Vadanam

Gangs Of Godavari

Tillu Square

Aa Okkati Adakku

Promoted Stories

Gulte Telugu news

BRO Movie Review

Article by Suman M Published by GulteDesk --> Published on: 3:47 am, 28 July 2023

115 Minutes   |   Comedy - Drama   |   28-07-2023

Cast - Pawan Kalyan, Sai Dharam Tej, Ketika Sharma, Priya Varrier, Rohini, Vennela Kishore and others

Director - Samuthirakani

Producer - T. G. Vishwa Prasad, Vivek Kuchibotla

Banner - People Media Factory

Music - S Thaman

Live while you live and take life as it comes is the concept of BRO. Pawan Kalyan agreed to be a part of this Sai Dharam Tej’s movie under Samuthirakani’s direction. BRO is an official remake of Vinodaya Sitham by the same director. The fantasy film was released today with good expectations and let us see If Sai Dharam Tej scores a hit again after his recent success Virupaksha. Here is the BRO movie review.

What Is It About?

Markandeyulu (Sai Dharam Tej) is a busy man whose priority is work and does not really have ‘time’ for others’ emotions or opinions. Mark meets with an accident that kills him and he then gets to meet the Time/God Titan (Pawan Kalyan). Titan gives 90 days for Mark as a second chance to change things. The rest of the story is what Mark realizes and how he manages to change the obvious.

Performances

Needless to say, Pawan Kalyan steals the show. His presence is the main asset of the film. Pawan’s vintage looks and enacting his own blockbuster songs from the past is a real treat for fans.

Sai Dharam Tej is decent as an ignorant workaholic. A few scenes between Pawan Kalyan and Sai Dharam Tej are good.

Ketika Sharma, Priya Varrier, Rohini, Vennela Kishore, Tanikella Bharani, and others did their part. The role Priya Varrier did, does not match her popularity and it could have been done by anyone.

Technicalities

BRO shows Pawan Kalyan in super stylish looks. The background music is good by Thaman, however, the songs are not impressive. In fact, the old songs of Pawan Kalyan worked better in small bits.

The VFX work could have been a lot better. There were many scenes that showed poor graphics. The screenplay is clumsy at times due to the series of scenes rushing.

Pawan Kalyan Dialogues & BGM Climax and Pre-climax Song

Thumbs Down

Weak Narration VFX Songs Over-the-Top Scenes

The concept is not new, but a little different from what we have seen earlier like Yamaleela to the latest Ori Devuda that dealt with the ‘second chance’. In fact, the director here made the God most of the time stay in the picture to make it an elaborate one, unlike other movies.

A man who thinks he is the center of everything realizes how things actually work upon ‘time’, even if he is not there.

The first 20 minutes are over-the-top establishing scenes and the comedy also fails to work there before getting into the actual plot. The entry of God is a powerful one.

Pawan Kalyan as Titan runs the show until the interval with his swag and old songs now and then. His mannerisms enthrall his fans the best. The bonding between Markandeyulu and his girlfriend was not established well.

Sai Dharam Tej has most of the scenes in combination with Pawan Kalyan and the latter’s presence throughout the movie is one strong asset BRO has. But the VFX in most of their scenes is pathetic.

The narrative does not get impressive due to the lack of emotional connection and it continues until the pre-climax episodes. The second half gets predictable in most parts. The climax followed by the song actually made a lot of sense than it did in the whole movie. The life lessons taught by Titan in the climax and the message asking everyone to accept life as it comes are conveyed well.

Overall, BRO has a good storyline, but the weak narrative does not let it becomes great. BRO makes a good watch for Pawan Kalyan’s fans but ‘time’ will tell how it fares at the box office.

Bottomline: ‘BRO’ – Story Proposes, Narration Disposes

Tags BRO Movie Review

Click Here for Recommended Movies on OTT (List Updates Daily)

• తెలుగు

BRO: Where to Watch, Tickets, Review, Box Office and Verdict

Samuthirakhani has directed the highly anticipated film, BRO, featuring Pawan Kalyan and Saidharam Tej, which is one of the most awaited releases among the big films of this season.

The movie is hitting the screens today after a considerable gap since the last Pawan Kalyan film.

Here are some interesting facts about BRO:

Where To Watch:

The film is releasing on July 28th in theaters across the world. It is not yet available on any OTT platform.

Book Tickets:

Tickets for BRO can be booked on BookMyShow or PayTM for theaters near you. Tickets can also be booked through Amazon Pay.

Director And Cast:

Samuthirakhani, who is also a popular actor, is making his directorial debut in Telugu with the film BRO.

The film is based on the theme of God-Human relationship and is a commercial version of the Tamil film 'Vinodaya Sitam'.

Trivikram is the writer for this film, while TG Vishwa Prasad and Vivek Kuchibhotla of People's Media have produced it.

Ketika Sharma and Priya Prakash Varrier are also part of the cast, while the music is scored by Thaman.

After watching the film, click here and give your verdict.

The movie in overseas is released by the production house itself on its own. 

CLICK HERE!! for USA Schedules.

BRO Review:

Click here for Bro movie  review

• A Masterpiece Teaser is Visually Stunning
• Pics: Rakul Flaunting Her Ab-Fitness
• 'The Birthday Boy':A New-Age Buddy Comedy

Tags: Bro Bro Verdict

‘Tuesday’ Review: Julia Louis-Dreyfus Takes on Death Itself – as a Terrifying 10-Foot Macaw – in Eccentric A24 Offering

First-time feature helmer Daina O. Pusić hatches a peculiar parable about a mother who refuses to accept that her terminally ill daughter must die.

By Peter Debruge

Peter Debruge

Chief Film Critic

• ‘Tuesday’ Review: Julia Louis-Dreyfus Takes on Death Itself – as a Terrifying 10-Foot Macaw – in Eccentric A24 Offering 7 hours ago
• ‘The Dead Don’t Hurt’ Review: Viggo Mortensen Disappears From His Own Western for a Spell, Letting Vicky Krieps Lead 1 week ago
• Cannes Awards: Female-Centered Stories Win Big in Cannes, as Sean Baker’s ‘Anora’ Earns Palme d’Or 2 weeks ago

Death takes the most unexpected of forms in “ Tuesday ,” a sui generis debut from Croatian director Daina O. Pusić . Her strikingly original, if occasionally counterintuitive film brings the central idea of Ingmar Bergman’s “The Seventh Seal” into the modern era — trying to stall Death, if only for a matter of hours — anchored by a committed performance from a curiously miscast Julia Louis-Dreyfus .

Related Stories

Peacock content spending patterns show shifting priorities, ‘lessons in chemistry’: brie larson says falling in love is harder than it looks on screen: ‘it’s so nuanced’ , popular on variety.

The buzz-cut, wheelchair-using teen (played by Lola Petticrew , a decade older but still plausible as a 15-year-old terminal cancer patient) also attempts to delay Death, just not for selfish reasons. Tuesday is relatively comfortable with the idea that she may die, but knows that her mom, Zora (Louis-Dreyfus), isn’t ready to accept it. No parent wants to outlive their offspring, and Zora goes to extraordinary lengths to protect her daughter (to detail how would be to rob audiences of the film’s most singular surprises).

Pusić easily could have crafted a more user-friendly allegory, but part of what makes the film so intriguing is the unconventional way she serves up information, creating a sense of mystery around her central premise: “Tuesday” isn’t about bargaining with Death so much as showing a parent and child come to a shared acceptance of its inevitability. The film boldly confronts an underexamined dimension of the human experience, and Louis-Dreyfus takes to the part with all the ferocity one could hope. But why is American comedian playing the mom in a London-set downer? Why don’t the actors tapped as mother and daughter look anything alike?

Louis-Dreyfus seems to be drawing on her sitcom-honed Elaine persona in her first scene, when Zora eyes a stuffed ape on the taxidermist’s shelf and turns it slightly so its genitals aren’t quite so prominently on display. By the end, however, the “Seinfeld” star is tapping into depths no film has given her a chance to explore (it’s a shame really that in her big scene with Death on the beach, audiences can’t hear the conversation occurring between them). And the subject is so rich, every viewer is sure to have a profoundly different and personal response.

Many will be left scratching their heads, at least for now. I suspect the film’s weird mix of tones will make more sense 10 or 20 years hence, once Pusić has a few more credits under her belt and we can view it in the broader context of her work. I’ve seen the film multiple times in a futile attempt to reconcile its competing elements, beginning with the Telluride Film Festival (where Pusić’s death-themed short “The Beast” played in 2015). There’s something undeniably exciting about Pusić’s vision, which confronts serious subjects with disarming irreverence. But her creative choices are peculiar, to say the least.

Her overly cute, Searchlight-esque design — like Tuesday’s “Juno”-style ringer T-shirt or the nurse’s Wes Anderson-pink scrubs — suggest a “Me and Earl and the Dying Girl” vibe, reinforced by a scene where Tuesday smokes pot with Death, and the pair sing along to Ice Cube’s “It Was a Good Day.” But Pusić can go much darker, as in a mordant cutaway to a man with no legs dragging himself across the road, his life temporarily extended while Tuesday distracts Death from his normal duties (which evidently extend to snuffing mice, flies and other creatures).

In the end, a white-faced actor in a plague cloak might have worked better. But it probably wouldn’t have forecast nearly as promising a career.

Reviewed at Telluride Film Festival, Sept. 3, 2023. MPA Rating: R. Running time: 110 MIN.

• Production: (U.S.-U.K.) An A24 release of an A24, BBC Film, BFI presentation, in association with Cinereach, of a Wild Swim Films, Gingerbread Pictures production, in association with Record Player Films. Producers: Helen Gladders, Ivana MacKinnon, Oliver Roskill. Executive producers: Eva Yates, Natascha Wharton, Elliott Whitton, Philipp Engelhorn. Co-producer: Tim Field.
• Crew: Director, writer: Daina O. Pusić. Camera: Alexis Zabé. Editor: Arttu Salmi. Music: Anna Meredith.
• With: Lola Petticrew, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Leah Harvey, Arinzé Kene.

More from Variety

Amc networks’ u.s. ad sales fall 13% as paid streaming subscribers reach 11.5 million in q1, following a bidding war, blackstone gets the whole hipgnosis songs pie, tencent music profits climb 28% in first quarter as more users pay for streaming, china’s alibaba grinds out small gains in a year of u-turns, virtual production market grows as average stage size contracts, paramount global’s top marketing and communications exec, julia phelps, is leaving, more from our brands, ‘baby reindeer’: real-life martha files $50 million lawsuit against netflix, ‘big little lies’ season 3 is happening. here’s everything we know so far., brewers owner attanasio, chapus in talks on 25% benfica stake, the best loofahs and body scrubbers, according to dermatologists, is baldwins’ series a brazen move did evil ruin bacon for you season 3 traitors predictions what is house of usher easter egg more tv qs, verify it's you, please log in.

Movie Reviews

Tv/streaming, collections, great movies, chaz's journal, contributors, the young wife.

Now streaming on:

Despite what everyone says, weddings aren’t really about the bride and groom. They’re about the community surrounding them, parents and siblings and friends and coworkers and cousins they haven’t seen in three years who are stuck in traffic and won’t make it in time for the happy hour. “The Young Wife” understands this. 

The film, which takes place over a single day, is told from the perspective of Celestina ( Kiersey Clemons ), the “young wife” of the title. Celestina is hosting a party that definitely isn’t a wedding (although it is) at her demanding “Maman’s” ( Sheryl Lee Ralph) country retreat in a flooded marsh. And all her friends and family—even the ones she’s not excited to see—will be there. 

Watching “The Young Wife” is an immersive, often overwhelming experience, a whirlwind of well-meaning but stressful characters mobbing the camera and speaking at such an anxiety-inducing speed that you forget to breathe for a second. (It’s a lot like how I remember my own wedding, actually.) Luckily, writer-director Tayarisha Poe inserts literal meditation breaks into the film, reminding us to breathe in and out. 

When we finally get to the wedding portion of this not-a-wedding, the tone shifts from nerve-shredding to blissful, as it does every time River ( Leon Bridges ), Celestina’s soon-to-be husband, enters the frame. River is a grounding force for Celestina, and their connection in the film is genuinely lovely. You’re rooting for these two to make it, which goes a long way toward staying invested in the minimal storyline. 

Celeste is a wonderfully complex character: She’s a fully rounded person with hopes and fears and a past and a future, who just quit her job at an evil corporation and resents how much money controls her life. She doesn’t have any specific dreams right now, but that’s because she needs some time (and some quiet) to figure things out. Talking to Cookie ( Judith Light ), River’s smart-mouthed stoner grandmother, helps; to be honest, so does the weed. Most of the ensemble seems shallow by comparison—although, to be fair, there are too many of them here to explore most of them in much depth.

More care is put into the characters’ world. Celestina is smart and sees through the bullshit that surrounds her; this is reflected in the heightened absurdity of the shows that blare on a small TV in the background throughout the film. Surreal touches are sprinkled throughout the film—at one point, the characters all freeze except for poor, beleaguered Celestina, who takes the opportunity to catch up on some dishes. These combine with a theatrical structure to give the proceedings an air of unreality, reflecting our protagonist’s frayed emotional state. 

One thing that lifts “The Young Wife” out of the realm of the merely experiential is that it’s set in 2033 (December 3, 2033, specifically). This gives Poe the opportunity to add subtle sci-fi touches, like the oxygen tank powered by an exotic plant that Cookie huffs between puffs. More importantly, it also allows her to introduce another source of tension to the film. Climate anxiety hums in the background of “The Young Wife,” as it does in many of our lives, and will surely continue as climate change gets more severe. References to floods and storms abound, with the occasional clap of thunder startling the characters like a bell tolling their doom. 

But what stands out the most about Poe’s second feature is the director’s exquisite taste. Every single design element, from the bisexual lighting to the camera a delivery person uses to take a photo of Celestina, is carefully selected as part of a harmonious overall aesthetic. (Celestina is frequently shown laden with packages, suggesting her psychic burdens.) The costumes, by prolific designer Laura Cristina Prtiz, are especially good, effectively selling the cool-kids-of-the-future vibe of Celestina and her friends. 

“The Young Wife” ends on an inconclusive note, but that’s just part of the experience of this movie, of the characters, of young people making adult decisions for the first time in their lives. It’s scary, striding forward into the future without knowing what will happen. Am I going to be okay? Are we going to be okay? Poe doesn’t know either, and the vulnerability and humility she expresses this uncertainty in this film is beautiful to see. 

Katie Rife is a freelance writer and critic based in Chicago with a speciality in genre cinema. She worked as the News Editor of  The A.V. Club  from 2014-2019, and as Senior Editor of that site from 2019-2022. She currently writes about film for outlets like  Vulture, Rolling Stone, Indiewire, Polygon , and  RogerEbert.com.

Now playing

What You Wish For

Glenn kenny.

Peyton Robinson

Force of Nature: The Dry 2

Sheila o'malley.

The Tattooist of Auschwitz

Clint worthington.

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes

Tomris laffly, film credits.

The Young Wife (2024)

Kiersey Clemons as Celestina

Leon Bridges as River

• Tayarisha Poe

Latest blog posts

The Future of the Movies, Part 3

Handmade Magic: Jason and the Argonauts

House of the Dragon Returns with a Captivating Yet Convoluted Second Season

Hulu's Queenie is a Masterful Study of Self-Growth

• India Today
• Business Today
• Harper's Bazaar
• Brides Today
• Cosmopolitan
• India Today Hindi
• Reader’s Digest
• Aaj Tak Campus

'Godzilla Minus One' Review: The best Godzilla film ever!

'godzilla minus one' review: director takashi yamazaki's 'godzilla minus one' won rave reviews during its premiere in tokyo and usa in 2023. now, the much-awaited film is premiering on netflix. read our review..

Listen to Story

• 'Godzilla Minus One' is streaming on Netflix
• It is hands-down the best Godzilla film you'd have witnessed
• The story of 'Godzilla Minus One' is set around the end of World War II

Release Date: 7 Jun, 2024

When 'Godzilla Minus One' dropped on Netflix with no big announcement or promo, it caught many, including me, by surprise. After all, this was THE Godzilla film everyone was waiting for. With a limited release worldwide, fans of the franchise were hoping that it gets a theatrical release in India. But for now, we have to make do with the OTT version and be happy! So why is 'Godzilla Minus One' such an important feature in this franchise? And what sets it apart from the other Godzilla movies? Let’s dive deep!

Godzilla leads the pack when it comes to monster movies that are based on a creature. For years, Japanese filmmakers have been obsessed with this giant that is sea and land-borne, which wreaks havoc and destroys cities. The recent 'Godzilla vs Kong' universe even took this prospect to a newer level and introduced possibilities of radiation and its aftermath. But 'Minus One' is a different Godzilla film .

The film doesn’t want us to only clap and jump in our seats when the monster arrives. The story is set around the end of World War II where a guilt-ridden pilot tries to give himself a second chance only to find that there is no real escape from the demons of his past. The story and writing are so sharp and at the same time create a world where we get to see a lot of what the Japanese common folk went through as a result of the war.

The film won the Best Visual Effects at the Oscars 2024, and you can tell why. The makers don’t go overboard with the pyrotechnics and keep it subtle. When you see Godzilla for the first time, you are in absolute awe of him. His eyes and his moves feel more real and menacing than ever before. The fight scenes, especially the ones set in the ocean where they try and prevent the creature from coming to the shore, are terrific. Takashi Yamakazi creates an almost perfect Godzilla film that does ample justice to its 1954 beginning.

At a time when the West is so heavily invested and relying on VFX in storytelling, it’s heartening to see a filmmaker balance both in a creature film that is expected to sway audiences towards visual effects. If you haven’t watched any Godzilla film before, then this is a terrific introduction to its universe and if you are a 'Kaiju' fanatic, then 'Minus One' is the perfect antidote to your Godzilla withdrawal symptoms.

5 out of 5 stars for 'Godzilla Minus One'. Published By: K Janani Published On: Jun 7, 2024 ALSO READ | Oscars 2024 Highlights: 'Oppenheimer' bags Best Picture, wins 7 awards

We're halfway through 2024. Here are the 10 best movies of the year (so far).

The sauciest tennis movie maybe ever. A queer bodybuilding revenge thriller. A very different Bible tale.

When it comes to the films of 2024, these are a few of our favorite things.

Last year was an amazing year for movies . This year, though, has been a little rough. People are freaking out over box-office receipts, and high-profile flicks – most recently, "Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga" and "The Garfield Movie" – aren't exactly raking in the cash; in fact, only five films in 2024 have cleared the $100 million bar domestically. And the movies themselves have been just OK on the whole. Usually, Hollywood backloads the really good stuff, and after " Madame Web ," "Argylle" and other rather middling fare, more quality is desperately needed.

Thankfully, there have also been some standouts. Here are 2024’s best movies so far, definitively ranked:

Join our Watch Party! Sign up to receive USA TODAY's movie and TV recommendations right in your inbox

Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle.

10. 'The First Omen'

"The Omen" franchise receives a nice refresh with this prequel to the original 1976 movie. Nell Tiger Free stars as a young American novitiate at an Italian orphanage who becomes embroiled in a rogue Catholic Church conspiracy to birth the antichrist. There's plenty of nun horror and a jaw-droppingly gonzo finale, but feminist undertones and a timely take on religion bring depth and relevance to a demonically effective chiller.

Where to watch: Hulu , Disney+

9. 'The Book of Clarence'

Jeymes Samuel's thoughtful and subversive take on the biblical resurrection story stars LaKeith Stanfield as Clarence, a streetwise Jerusalem man in Jesus' time. Seeing the power and swagger Jesus has, Clarence proclaims himself "the new messiah," tries his hand at miracles and runs afoul of the Romans in a spiritually touching Everyman story anyone can relate to, whether you’re a believer or not.

Where to watch: Netflix

8. 'Late Night With the Devil'

David Dastmalchian makes everything he's in better, from the "Ant-Man" movies and "The Suicide Squad" to "Oppenheimer" and "The Boogeyman." He gets a hell of a lead role in this discomforting and mind-bending retro horror movie, starring as a 1970s late-night TV host who is tired of losing in the ratings to Johnny Carson and brings on a supposedly possessed girl in a Halloween gambit that spirals supernaturally out of control.

Where to watch: Shudder

7. 'Drive-Away Dolls'

Director Ethan Coen's goofball crime comedy is a playfully madcap turn on the “Thelma & Louise” model, with Geraldine Viswanathan and Margaret Qualley playing lesbian friends needing to get away from their everyday lives. Driving a rental car to Florida, they find something weird in the trunk and wind up on a campy, noir-spattered road trip. (Extra cool points for including a fun bit from cameo king Matt Damon.)

Where to watch: Peacock

6. 'Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga'

In the prequel to "Mad Max: Fury Road," Anya Taylor-Joy takes over Charlize Theron's title role as young Furiosa embarks upon an epic revenge quest that involves vehicular mayhem, explosive action sequences, rampant road rage and the weirdest villain Chris Hemsworth will probably ever play . It's no "Fury Road" but "Mad Max" mastermind George Miller again delivers a wild and worthy dystopian thrill ride through the Wasteland.

Where to watch: In theaters

5. 'Hit Man'

Glen Powell may be a rising star after "Top Gun: Maverick" and "Anyone But You," but the real talent scouts have been on board since his wise ballplayer in Richard Linklater's "Everybody Wants Some!!" They team again for an irresistible noir comedy and Powell's most wide-ranging role to date, a nerdy philosophy professor who moonlights as a fake assassin on cop crime stings and falls for a "client" (Adria Arjona) wanting to off her hubby.

Where to watch: In theaters now, on Netflix Friday

4. 'Challengers'

Just when you think sports movies are all the same, director Luca Guadagnino ("Call Me By Your Name") serves up an art-house topspin with his engaging, hot-blooded tennis melodrama . Mike Faist and Josh O’Connor star as young doubles partners and Zendaya is the teen singles sensation who creates an emotionally complicated love triangle that unfolds in fierce fashion on and off the court over several tumultuous years.

Where to watch: Apple TV , Fandango at Home , Amazon

3. 'Love Lies Bleeding'

Eyes lock between pumped-up Midwestern bodybuilder Jackie (Katy O'Brian) and introverted gym manager Lou (Kristen Stewart) and a love connection sparks. Then everything falls apart, and bodies start hitting the ground, in director Rose Glass' sultry, sweaty and sufficiently bizarre neo-noir thriller . Come for the bullets and barbells, stay for O'Brian's fantastic star-making turn, deftly capturing the troubled soul underneath Jackie’s muscles.

2. 'Civil War'

With his riveting cautionary tale , director Alex Garland takes our current political and cultural divide to a disturbing place and makes audiences confront what an actual modern civil war would look like. The thriller doubles as a journalism movie, too, with Kirsten Dunst turning in an outstanding performance as a world-weary photographer who takes a rookie (Cailee Spaeny) under her wing on the dangerous road to a scoop for the ages.

1. 'Dune: Part Two'

For a much-anticipated epic sci-fi movie, director Denis Villeneuve's 2021 "Dune: Part One" was aggressively average. (Heck, that David Lynch "Dune" was more enjoyable.) But all is forgiven now, Denis: "Part Two" is a sprawling, sandworm-filled triumph . Timothée Chalamet finally finds his way as the messianic Paul Atreides – plus digs into the thorny issues that come with being a savior figure – in a gripping, action-packed sequel exploring power, colonialism and religion.

Where to watch: Max

• Skip to main content
• Keyboard shortcuts for audio player

Movie Reviews

• LISTEN & FOLLOW
• Apple Podcasts
• Google Podcasts
• Amazon Music

Your support helps make our show possible and unlocks access to our sponsor-free feed.

'The Dead Don’t Hurt' is a tender love story and a subversive Western

Justin Chang

Viggo Mortensen plays Holger Olsen in The Dead Don't Hurt. Marcel-Zyskind/Shout! Studios hide caption

One of the many charms of The Dead Don’t Hurt is that you can’t immediately tell whether it’s trying to be an old-fashioned Western or a revisionist one. It has a lot of familiar genre signposts: men riding horses across rugged landscapes, a bloody shootout in a saloon, and two actors, Viggo Mortensen and Vicky Krieps , who bring traditional movie-star charisma to a tender love story.

But at times the film feels casually subversive. The first of those horsemen we see is not a cowboy but a knight in shining armor — a figure out of a child’s fantastical dream. And then there’s the way the movie plays with time: That shootout, which technically happens at the end of the story, is instead shown at the very beginning.

Author Interviews

What a classic '50s western can teach us about the hollywood blacklist.

Mortensen, who wrote and directed the movie, trusts us to know the Western well enough by now that he can play around with the form without losing our attention. He isn’t attempting a radical reinvention of the genre, but he is using its conventions to tell a different and politically resonant kind of story.

It’s especially significant that the two lead characters are both immigrants. Mortensen stars as Holger Olsen, a wandering Danish-born carpenter who finds himself in San Francisco in the 1860s. That’s where he meets Vivienne, a French Canadian florist, played by Krieps, who’s every bit as independent-minded as he is.

Vicky Krieps is a French Canadian florist in The Dead Don't Hurt. Marcel Zyskind/Shout! Studios hide caption

The two fall in love, and Vivienne moves with Olsen to a dusty Nevada town called Elk Flats. Because the story is told out of sequence, we already know some bad things are headed their way, but for now, the mood is light and even comical as Vivienne grouchily sets about tidying their wooden shack of a home.

Vivienne isn’t one for domestic confinement, and she soon gets a job bartending at the saloon, where she catches the eye of one of the nastiest customers in town: Weston Jeffries, played by Solly McLeod, the brutish son of a wealthy rancher. Meanwhile, with the Civil War under way, Olsen decides to join the Union Army, to Vivienne’s fury.

One of the best things about The Dead Don’t Hurt is that it honors Vivienne’s grit and capability while also acknowledging how alone and vulnerable she is in this hostile, male-dominated environment. Several months after Olsen leaves, Vivienne gives birth to a baby boy under circumstances that are shrouded in some mystery. Years later, Olsen returns to Vivienne and the child, but it isn’t an entirely happy reunion, and they face a grim reckoning with the town and some of its most corrupt individuals.

Mortensen made his feature directing debut with the 2020 drama Falling , in which he played a gay man trying to take care of his ailing, bigoted father. With The Dead Don’t Hurt , he uses a story set in the past to comment on issues that are still with us in the present, from male violence against women to the complexity of immigrant relationships with their adopted country. Even as Vivienne embraces her life as an American settler, she proudly clings to her French Canadian roots, sometimes dreamily recalling the stories her mother told her about Joan of Arc — an obvious hero for a woman trying to forge her own unorthodox path through life.

As a director, Mortensen handles the material with quiet assurance; even when he cuts back and forth through time, he never loses the narrative thread. He also gives a gently grounded performance as Olsen, a decent man who sometimes makes impulsive, reckless decisions.

But this is ultimately Krieps’ movie. She’s often played women chafing against their proscribed stations in life, in dramas like Phantom Thread and Corsage . Here, she captures the indomitable spirit of a woman who’s making her way in a strange land and is determined to find and nurture beauty in even the harshest circumstances.

• Cast & crew
• User reviews

Follows a passenger on a train to New Delhi. The train soon becomes a combat battleground as a pair of commandos face an army of invading bandits. Follows a passenger on a train to New Delhi. The train soon becomes a combat battleground as a pair of commandos face an army of invading bandits. Follows a passenger on a train to New Delhi. The train soon becomes a combat battleground as a pair of commandos face an army of invading bandits.

• Nikhil Nagesh Bhat
• Ayesha Syed
• Raghav Juyal
• Tanya Maniktala
• 4 User reviews
• 11 Critic reviews
• 1 nomination

• Baldev Singh Thakur

• Man with Mobile
• (credit only)
• Brahmeshwar
• All cast & crew
• Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

Tribeca 2024 Film Festival Guide

More like this

User reviews 4

• Blue-Grotto
• Sep 23, 2023
• How long will Kill be? Powered by Alexa
• July 4, 2024 (United States)
• United States
• Sikhya Entertainment
• Dharma Productions
• See more company credits at IMDbPro

Technical specs

• Runtime 1 hour 55 minutes

Related news

Contribute to this page.

• See more gaps
• Learn more about contributing

More to explore

Recently viewed.