Bromance is a fun film that doesn't take itself too seriously, observes Arjun Menon.
In a relatively short career, Arun D Jose has made a name for himself as the go-to man for multiplex comedies in Malayalam cinema.
The director began his career with comedies like Jo And Jo (2022) and 18+ (2023), which featured young actors like Mathew Thomas and Naslen, and bottled the humour of a generation obsessed with reel culture and short-form comedy.
There is a sitcom-like simplicity to the way Arun D Jose puts together his comedic set pieces. He rarely tries to elevate the material into anything above the scope of surface laughs.
He makes his third directorial Bromance with a similar strategy, albeit with a better production design and staging choices, borne out of the bigger budget and resources at his disposal.
Bromance is the latest to this assembly line of quirky, vibrant comedies featuring the young guns of Malayalam cinema that offers quick laughs and a wafer-thin plot.
Binto (Matthew Thomas) arrives in Kochi after he has been informed about his brother Shinto (Shyam Mohan) going missing by a friend Shabeer (Arjun Ashokan) on New Year's eve.
We get some context into the kind of relationship the brothers share and see early on that Binto has been brought up in a surrounding that views his charismatic brother as a star.
But newfound revelations upend his view of his brother and his city life.
The film follows Binto's reluctant teaming up with a group of friends from his brother's life to solve the mysterious disappearance.
Like many modern comedies, Bromance has quippy one-liners and repartees from its young cast, which is beaming with untapped energy and games of one-upmanship.
The film caters to the attention-deficit Gen Z demographic with sharp edit rhythms that are reminiscent of films like Thallumala (2022).
There is a relentless energy to the way the images overlap or often bleed into each other and this vibrancy keeps the tone light.
The filmmakers are in tune with the changing modes of film editing that use our familiarity with certain social media-friendly cuts that keep the film moving from one light-hearted moment to another.
The film is not precious about plot mechanisations and has its peculiar way of tipping its hat to Priyadarshan comedies.
The meta references, youthful fervor and visual vibrancy keep the momentum building throughout the runtime.
Bromance works best due to its performers. You get a sense that the actors playing out the onscreen camaraderie have an emotional shorthand with each other and can complement the chaos and unfiltered energy of the heightened theatrics.
Sangeeth Prathap walks away with the best one-liners, in a part that is reminiscent of his work as Amal Davis in Premalu (2024). There is a sense of relatable rawness that the young editor-turned-actor imbues the ensemble scenes with and you can sense his physicality working big time in making the humour work.
Bromance is full of hyperventilating characters, especially Matthew Thomas. His character quirks can sometimes be overwhelming but the actor has never seemed more volatile and energetic on screen.
Mahima Nambiar's peculiar 'Kasargod' slang wears thin after a point though she understands the assignment in hand.
Govind Vasantha makes a comeback to Malayalam cinema in style with a soundtrack that compliments the visceral energy.
The rest of the supporting cast also deliver entertaining performances, like the Korean cinema-styled 'Korean Babu' played by Kalabhavan Shajon.
Akhil George's flamboyant camera is constantly innovating with framing choices and lighting patterns with hues of red, yellow, and warm colours.
The visual flair is matched by Chaman Chacko's cuts that flow in creative ways.
Your tolerance level for loud, caper comedies will determine how much you enjoy the relentless attack on the senses and the low-on-plot nature of Bromance.
Loudness is an unavoidable fixture in these comedies where outrageousness is founded in the sensibility of the story.
The performances, writing and staging choices work best in a packed theatre. The experience of watching Bromance alone, at home, might be a whole different conversation.
The messy plotting, heightened performance styles and silly gags might get under your skin and tire you if you are resistant to the boisterous rhythms of new-age comedies but the mileage may vary based on the kind of audience you get to watch this film with.
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