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.
Bromance
Review
Rediff
Rating:
