The older I get the harder it can be to balance family with life. Sure, we’re in a time of year where family is expected to see one another. The conversations consistently float around whose house will play host to this year’s festivities. Throwing in the 2020 COVID-19 wrench only makes things a tad more difficult as states are beginning the process of shutting things down again. Honestly, by this point, it feels like each day gives me another to worry about without projecting my thoughts into the future. These days I find myself busier and busier, which is a good thing but sometimes distractions can prolong communication between myself and my folks.

I’m not always the best at it. I’ll be the first to admit that. I’m getting better with each passing day. My family situation could always look different than it does now, and not in a good way. I think of friends that I have which no longer have parents alive or together. I’m fortunate enough to have both living together and still married. My condolences if that isn’t your situation. I don’t say it to gloat; simply to remind myself to be grateful. There are people I know who have exiled themselves from their family. I’m thankful to have my family in my life - even with the distance.

Family is a tricky slope to navigate sometimes. There are times where we fight and others where we laugh. There are times dedicated to tears and others devoted to love. My family has given me some of the best memories of my life and some of my favorite tattoos. Director Luke Greenfield aims to share these struggles in his new dramedy, Half Brothers. The film chronicles a road trip taken by half brothers after the loss of their father to uncover the mystery surrounding their biology. It is worth noting that one of the brothers (Luis Gerardo Mendez), and the father, are from Mexico, while the other brother (Connor Del Rio) is based out of Chicago. They might seem minor details but they engrain themselves into the narrative as deeply as roots.

To say that Brothers has a rocky start would be a massive understatement. I’m not entirely sure what Greenfield’s cultural background is but much of the film’s first act throws every stereotype at the audience. Not just how Americans see Mexicans but vice versa as well. Greenfield doesn’t waste any time attempting to sugar coat such stereotypes. Before Mendez comes to America he mentions that every American is fat, lazy, and selfish. Sure enough, when the movie finally lands in America that is all we see until we meet Del Rio. They do the same thing with the Mexican heritage; pinpointing exclusively on Cancun’s ziplining and drug cartels. These tendencies fizzle out rather quickly but because nearly every character feels like a stereotype, it makes it hard for the audience to connect with the characters. Likewise it also makes the emotional climax of the movie less impactful.

Perhaps that also lies in the lack of character development we get. On the one hand, you have Mendez, who just feels like a one trick pony. There are several sequences with him getting mad throughout the entire movie. Then he’ll have these little pockets of redemption, only to slide right back into that anger. It felt extremely frustrating that every time his character showed the slightest bit of growth, he backslid. His character’s ending feels extremely forced. And then you have Del Rio. 

Del Rio has a bit more character development. I would even argue that he has more to offer than Mendez. Throughout the first act, and even a little in the second act, he also feels one-dimensional. He’s the wacky guy who loves his goat and is chasing the Instagram sponsors, though as the movie progresses his character grows and becomes layered. But equally frustrating is that he ends the exact same way we meet him. While audiences will get to see him deepen they will never see him grow past the one trait. Del Rio is the stand out performance of this film. His antics definitely fuel this movie. He’s the funniest part of the movie.

Outside of Del Rio is another story. There are moments where you can see that the writers were intending for a joke but its delivery is stale. Then there is the problem with the film's other identity in its drama. Due to its cultural stereotyping and one dimensionality, it’s hard for the emotional aspect to land the way it's intended to land. Perhaps one of my biggest issues with this movie was the horrifying costume designs for the “aged” characters. Along the road trip, the brothers are solving riddles from their father to better understand how their stories connect. The only problem with that is that the actors are younger, probably 30s to 40s, and are noticeably playing 60 and above. The aged makeup is painfully obvious. I would even dare to say that I’ve seen better make up in my high school theater days.

Overall, Half Brothers is only half as good as you’d hope. As a comedy, the movie does have it’s moments. Most of them exist with breakout star Connor Del Rio. Del Rio has the most to offer from his charm to his quirkiness and his ever evolving depth. Unfortunately the world around him falls apart. The cultural stereotypes, on both sides of the fence, make its foundation bumpy to begin with, while then making the climax far from effective. Half Brothers is good for the occasional laugh but that’s about it. 

RORSCHACH RATING:

Mental Health Moment: Half Brothers opens on a younger Renato, who would grow up to be Mendez, and his father. Renato recounts how close him and his father were. That was until his father came to America for better opportunities, promising to come back for him and his mother. That day never came and that promise never came to fruition. Thus, a seed of bitterness was sown. Eventually into adulthood, it began to manifest. Several times throughout the film, we see the fruit of that bitterness showcase itself within Renato. 

Bitterness, resentment, or whatever you wish to call it can create deep wounds that take time to heal. We have to be vulnerable enough to acknowledge the wounds. Dr. Steven Stosny wrote in Psychology Today, “To escape the anger-resentment whirlpool, we must build habits of validating what lies beneath them and act on the self-correcting motivations of vulnerable emotions, rather than denying, avoiding, or blaming them on others”. If we’re vulnerable with ourselves, we are more likely to be vulnerable with others. We have this tendency to build up these walls around us to project something that we’re not. 

I can speak from personal experience that resentment is one of the worst mindsets to hold. I shared this in our Babadook episode but I had to actually walk away from horror movies for a period in my life because my resentment and violent anger was entangled in what I was watching. I didn’t see anything wrong with it until someone dared me to reflect. That’s one of the things I did admire about this movie: the challenge to Mendez’s character to reflect. I would dare you to reflect on your own relationships right now. Is there someone you need to reconcile with? I promise it’ll benefit your mental health tremendously.

If you or someone you know is reading this right now and you are struggling with suicide, depression, addiction, or self-harm - please reach out. Comment, message or tweet to us. Go to victimsandvillains.net/hope for more resources. Call the suicide lifeline at 1-800-273-8255. Text "HELP" to 741-741. There is hope & you DO have so much value and worth!

Victims and Villains is written Josh "Captain Nostalgia" Burkey (and produced by) and more. Music by Mallory Johnson and others. Half Brothers is property of Focus Features. We do not own nor claim any rights. Half Brothers is now playing in theaters.

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