Crime dramas are a dime a dozen and it’s hard for one to come out of the woodwork and do something authentic or interesting. Brothers by Blood tries immensely hard to be gritty, working to show the ruthless nature of generational trauma and violence that can be so hard to shake when it’s tied to family. However, Brothers by Blood is an incomprehensible, frustrating mess that barely touches on its narrative themes and completely wastes the talents of its actors.
Based on Brotherly Love, the 1991 novel by Pete Dexter, Brothers by Blood follows Peter (Matthias Schoenaerts), a member of an Irish mob family in Philadelphia who tries to escape the family business. Peter works alongside his cousin Michael (Joel Kinnaman), a vindictive, dangerous man who’s quick to use a gun and his fist on anyone who so much thinks about double-crossing him. While Peter wrestles with the pain of the present, he is haunted by the pain of his past, with flashbacks showcasing the immediate aftermath of his sister’s death, his mother’s reaction, and his father’s (Ryan Phillippe) vengeful mission against the man who killed his daughter.
Brothers by Blood is fragmented, choppy, and practically incoherent. Peter and Michael move in and out of scenes, interacting with a plethora of characters who are unidentifiable within the narrative and whose purpose is cause for a lot of confusion. The audience is strung along, forced to put together the pieces of the story in an attempt to make sense of a convoluted plot. The flashback scenes, which are meant to offer backstory about Peter and how his sister’s death taught him a lot about his family’s penchant for crime and violence, add nothing to the story the film is trying to tell. The scenes are also weirdly and inconsistently placed within the narrative and it often seems as though writer-director Jérémie Guez threw them in haphazardly.
All of the film’s growing tension happens offscreen, with characters forced to explain what’s going on rather than showing the audience what’s actually brewing between Peter’s family and their Italian mob family rivals. Several characters bring up a man named Constantine, but this elusive figure never appears onscreen. Brothers by Blood would rather tell and not show, deflating all of the mounting tension that might have otherwise supported the characters and their story. There’s a lot of drama and a lot of crime, but these elements act like a chore ready to be checked off a list. The film ultimately lacks any cohesive worldbuilding and character depth, aspects that may have made the story more palatable.
Perhaps what’s most frustrating is the passive nature of Schoenaerts’ Peter. He barely speaks and the film does a poor job of exploring his interiority, making it difficult to grasp what it is that he really wants. Again, Brothers by Blood fails in showing much beyond what is gleaned by the plot’s summary. What’s more, the film is a slog to sit through, bogged down by its slow pacing and nearly inaudible dialogue. Even Kinnaman, who is usually very good, mutters his way through the movie, coming alive only when it’s time for his character to threaten another.
Ultimately, there was something lost in translation because Brothers by Blood doesn’t really explore any of the themes it sets up. It also doesn’t show the ways in which trauma, fear of retaliation, and legacy play roles in Peter’s life and the sense of loyalty he has for his family. The film waits too long to lay out a story that is barely held together by an earnest cast. With poor editing and an incoherent plot, the film’s potential is completely squandered.
Brothers by Blood releases in select theaters, on demand, and digital on January 22, 2021. The movie runs 89 minutes and is rated R for some violence, brief drug use, sexual references, and pervasive language.
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