Bros is the first romantic comedy about a gay couple to be released by a major Hollywood studio. And it is not one of those gay movies that caters to straight people.

The poster for Bros features two men standing side-by-side grabbing each other’s asses. I passed by it multiple times in the weeks leading up to the film’s release, and each time dismissed it as “bro-y” promotion for some The Hangover adjacent movie that makes “being gay” the punchline. So, I was pleasantly surprised when I learned that Bros is actually the first romantic comedy about a gay couple to be released by a major Hollywood studio. I was particularly surprised by Bros’s status as the first major romantic comedy about a gay couple. What about, you know, Love, Simon? But Bros is a true romantic comedy about gay men in their 30s, not a coming of age drama about a coming out story. And, thanks to The Ferris Film Society, I was able to attend an advanced screening.  

Bros is quite conscious of its significance, and it does not pull its punches. On their first date, mismatched love interests Bobby (Billy Eichner) and Aaron (Luke Macfarlane) see a tragedy starring straight actors playing gay cowboys. Bobby immediately points this out, joking that straight men love a tear-jerking, Oscar-worthy performance (Brokeback Mountain, anyone?).  

Bros is not one of those gay movies that caters to straight people. Throughout the movie, Bobby maintains that “love is not love.” Queer sex is different, queer relationships are different, etc. Bros is not afraid to showcase these differences. The truly open and almost casual representation of queer sex, for example, is groundbreaking — “I’m supposed to fuck him and his husband later,” Aaron states towards the beginning of the movie. He does, and we see it! 

Though there is plenty that straight people cannot relate to, Bros follows romantic comedy genre conventions to a tee. Bobby and Aaron get off to an off-beat start, end up spending more time together, and (surprise!) fall for each other. Complete with palpable chemistry, witty banter, and hilarious one liners (like “We had AIDS, they have glee” and “There are trans terrorists too… Caitlyn Jenner!”), Bros makes sure you leave the theater with a smile on your face. Not everyone will understand Bobby’s Bert and Ernie reference, but everyone will appreciate the tried and true romantic comedy love story. 

I anticipate that the majority of criticism will point out Bros’s adherence to romantic comedy genre conventions: What happened to love isn’t love? Why should Bobby and Aaron have to conform to genre conventions that typically pander to heteronormative ideals? Personally, I think such questions miss the point. Sure, the structure of Bobby and Aaron’s relationship is all too familiar. Sure, they live happily ever after. But what exactly makes that … straight? Queer love shouldn’t be defined by the heart wrenching coming out scene or the cowboy tragedy. In fact, it can’t be defined by just a handful of stories. In the end, it’s nice to finally see queer people get their happily ever after. And, as much as I love Bobby and Aaron, I’m hopeful that someday we will see a more diverse collection of queer people get their happily ever after. 

The cast of Bros via Flickr