If your idea of a perfect weekend watch involves John Cena looking incredibly stressed while Eric André runs around without pants on, then Netflix has a gift for you.
The streaming giant’s latest raunchy comedy, “Little Brother”, has officially arrived, and it is exactly the kind of beautiful, loud disaster you think it is.
Cena plays Rudd Landy, a very successful, hyper-organised New York real estate agent who is on the verge of making it big.
He’s auditioning to star in a cutthroat reality TV show called “NYC Hustlers”, and his life is perfectly curated. He uses jade face rollers, wears expensive under-eye patches and does absolutely everything he can to get out of the shadow of his much richer, overbearing elder brother.
He also has a beautiful home, a patient wife, two sons and a flawless 10-year plan.
Then, the universe decides to throw a wrecking ball at his life.
Christopher Meloni in “Little Brother”.
Enter Marcus (André), who isn’t Rudd’s biological brother. He is his former “Little Brother” from a charity mentoring program they participated in back in the late ’90s.
Decades have passed, and they haven’t spoken in years, and Rudd hasn’t given Marcus a single thought.
So why does Marcus suddenly show up on his doorstep? Well, that is all thanks to Rudd’s personal assistant, Mia, played by Sherry Cola.
It turns out Mia has spent years ghostwriting incredibly deep, emotional and encouraging emails to Marcus, entirely in Rudd’s name, just to keep him off Rudd’s back.
Because of these secret emails, Marcus genuinely believes he and Rudd share an unbreakable, soulmate-level bond.
Eric André and Sherry Cola in “Little Brother”.
Armed with a heart full of fake email love, an unhinged Marcus escapes from a psychiatric facility, which he voluntarily booked himself into, by the way, and decides to head straight to the Big Apple to reunite with his favourite “big brother”.
Naturally, things go wrong immediately.
On the way into the city, Marcus gets into a major accident, and because he has no one else in the world, Rudd is listed as his emergency contact.
With nowhere else to go and a hospital looking to discharge him, Marcus basically forces his way into Rudd’s home. From the moment he steps through the front door, Marcus threatens to completely derail Rudd’s marriage, his high-stakes career and whatever is left of his fragile sanity.
This entire movie relies on Cena looking like a frustrated, muscular mountain next to André’s unpredictable human-tornado routine. It’s an absolute blast to watch.
He spends half the movie staring in absolute horror at André, who brings a chaotic, unpredictable energy to every single scene. Whether Marcus is destroying a kitchen, Rudd’s sports car or giving unsolicited advice, you can’t take your eyes off him. It’s a genuinely funny dynamic, and the supporting cast completely understood the assignment.
Christopher Meloni shows up and steals every scene he’s in, playing an absolute jerk of an older brother who loves to make Rudd feel small.
Meanwhile, Michelle Monaghan does her absolute best to play the sane wife anchoring the madness, acting as the voice of reason while her house is burned down metaphorically and almost literally.
Oh, and you definitely need to keep your eyes peeled for a random Paris Hilton cameo.
But honestly? The movie goes way too far sometimes and gets very cringeworthy.
Sometimes writers seem to think that if a joke is gross, it’s automatically funny, which isn’t always the case.
There is a specific subplot involving a marriage-saving physical recommendation from Marcus that leads to a public viewing you will desperately wish you could unsee.
Throw in a huge amount of crude jokes, unnecessary nudity and repeated public urination jokes, and the whole thing just becomes a bit too much to handle.
Eric André and Michelle Monaghan in “Little Brother”.
Let’s be real: “Little Brother” is not going to win any Oscars, and it’s definitely not one to watch on the couch with your parents or your kids. It’s predictable, highly offensive and relies heavily on loud, slapstick humour rather than clever writing.
However, if you are looking for a turn-your-brain-off Friday night comedy with plenty of genuine laugh-out-loud moments, it hits the spot.
Grab some popcorn, embrace the cringe, and stream it for the pure, unadulterated chaos.
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