4 Reasons Bros Was a Success (& 4 Reasons It Flopped)

Released in theaters on September 30th, “Bros” became the first LGBTQ rom-com to be backed by a major studio: Universal Pictures.

The movie follows the story of two men, Bobby Leiber (Billy Eichner) and Aaron Shepard (Luke Macfarlane). Bobby is a cynical podcaster that wants to open the first LGBTQ history museum in New York City. He falls in love with Aaron, a lawyer who organizes wills and estates for people, after meeting at a nightclub.

Despite good reviews, “Bros” flopped at the box office during the opening weekend with a total of $4.8 million in revenue. The studio made about half of what they projected: $8-$10 million. Eichner tweets that the movie underperformed because “straight people, especially in certain parts of the country, just didn’t show up.” However, since the premiere date on September 30th, “Bros” only accumulated $11 million in total revenue. Considering the low turnout, neither the straight or LGBTQ communities showed up to theaters to support the movie. So why did “Bros” flop? Here are four reasons why the movie flopped and four reasons why it was successful.

8/8

Flopped: The Marketing Campaign Prioritized the Film’s Importance Over Its Comedy

The marketing campaign prioritized the film’s importance over its comedy by promoting the film “as hilarious as it is historic.” When watching the trailers, it wasn’t clear that “Bros” was a rom-com because it was marketed as a historical film. Trailers were telling people to watch the movie because it was making history, but the trailer would not show what the film was about. People could guess from the trailer that “Bros” was a rom-com. However, people should not have to guess. “Bros” needed to be promoted as a rom-com not a historical film.

7/8

Successful: Genuinely Hilarious

“Bros” is hilarious and one of the best rom-coms in years. Thanks to Eichner and his co-writer Nicholas Stroller, the screenplay is lighthearted and comedic. The film had the theater busting up laughing with its jokes about sex, pop culture, and hookup culture on Grindr.

One of the funniest scenes shows the strange dynamic of Grindr when Bobby tries to find someone to hook up with. The film proceeds to read out loud the texts between Bobby and the men he’s messaging, showing the different types of people you find on dating apps. One of the people repeatedly demands a pic of Bobby’s ass before they hook up. After some back and forth, Bobby decides to take a picture. It takes him 40 minutes to find a picture he’s happy with and when he finally sends it the guy blocks him. This scene was relatable for anyone who struggles to take photos of themself.

6/8

Flopped: Relationship Differences

The film states that their relationship is different. However, besides sex and swapping genders the relationship seems the same. The movie follows the usual formula for a rom-com: a meet cute, grand gestures, dating, a misunderstanding, and happily ever after. Since it was the first major LGBTQ rom-com it makes sense why they followed the standard rom-com storyline. However, they missed out on an opportunity to show more in detail how their relationships are different beyond sex and gender.

5/8

Successful: Bobby and Aaron Have Personality

Bobby and Aaron are not one-dimensional characters. Each character has goals, fears, and insecurities. Bobby wants to open the first LGBTQ history museum, he is scared of commitment, and he is insecure about his masculinity. He wants to appear more masculine because he believes more people would like him that way. Throughout the film, he continues to battle with his insecurities about his body and masculinity.

Aaron is not as insecure about his masculinity, but he fears not fitting in. He wants to make chocolate for a living so he can leave his depressing job, he’s scared of commitment, and he does not like being vulnerable. Aaron is more insecure around Bobby when he starts comparing himself to him. Aaron feels inferior to Bobby at times because Bobby followed through with his dreams while he didn’t. He wanted to create chocolate for a living but he was too scared of how others would react that he didn’t do anything.

4/8

Flopped: Bobby is Kinda Annoying

Bobby starts to become more annoying throughout the film. He struggles to empathize with others and does not listen to other people’s points of view. When he believes he’s right then no one can convince him otherwise. There is a particular scene where he has a one-sided argument with Aaron’s mother about what age kids should learn about gay history. He disagreed with her and brought the subject back up three times even after being told to drop it. In another scene, he argues with his coworkers about how Abraham Lincoln was gay and again refuses to drop the subject.

3/8

Successful: A Diverse Cast

The film’s cast is nearly all LGBTQ. “I could not be more proud or excited about the historic nature of the all openly LGBTQ+ cast of Bros. After queer actors have spent decades watching straight actors capitalize both artistically and professionally by playing LGBTQ+ characters, it is a long overdue dream come true to be able to assemble this remarkable, hilarious cast,” said Eichner. Eichner hopes the movie will give LGBTQ characters the chance to be more than just a side character or token queer in future films.

2/8

Flopped: “Bros” Movie Poster is Misleading

The poster fails to show what the film is about because it is not historic and it doesn’t represent the rom-com. “Bros” was marketed as a historic film in the trailers. However, the poster does not mimic any historical posters or show how it is historical. In addition, the poster fails to show the type of rom-com. When looking at the poster without context it is unclear what the movie is. One might assume that the film is R-rated and based on sex like Fifty Shades of Grey or American Pie. It would be more successful if it showed them cuddling, holding hands, or kissing. Then the poster would look more similar to other rom-coms so people know what to expect.

1/8

Successful: It’s the First Gay Rom-Com Backed by a Major Studio

The biggest success is that this is the first LGBTQ rom-com backed by a major studio. Overall, the film pushed open the door for future LGBTQ rom-coms. The movie was well recieved by those that watched it. However, poor marketing stopped the film from getting the audience it deserved. When the next LGBTQ movie is made they can look at this film for influence and make it even better than “Bros.”