Nerds That Geek Movie Review: ‘Call Me Brother’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

Caution: This article contains spoilers for the motion picture, ‘Call Me Brother’.
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Something that is truly fascinating about film in this day and age, is the sheer fact audiences know exactly what they are getting from the various genres that are out there. For if they head to the theater to see a drama, they know they are going to be treated to a powerful story, one that will move them emotionally. And if they’re up for a horror flick, well then, they are fully aware they are going to be terrified and likely learn something along the way. Since horror has established itself as a genre that knows how to examine modern society and the human condition. As for comedies, well, that’s pretty self-explanatory right there. Because settling to watch a goofy film, means the audience is going to laugh hard for an hour and a half. 

But while it is cool to have an idea of what you’re going to get yourself into when you choose a particular movie genre, this new reality for films has its drawbacks. Because it means that stories can sometimes be constrained by their genre and not push the envelope as film is sometimes wont to do. But while it is unfortunate to know that the market has found a sense of comfort, one that does enjoy its measure of formula, the good news is, that there are still writers and directors out there that want to experiment with a particular genre and see what it can truly accomplish storytelling wise. And it just so happens that a newly released comedy actually manages to push the envelope of this 'by the numbers' genre, by making us incredibly uncomfortable in, Call Me Brother.

Now in this particular film, we are introduced to a brother and sister named Tony and Lisa and they unfortunately, have quite the sorted family past. For when they were little, their mother and father came to realize that they didn’t love one another in the slightest and during the divorce, they were split up and separated since Lisa went to live with their mother. But thanks to an impromptu vacation on mom’s part, the siblings are going to be reunited after ten years, for a weekend. Which seems like a wonderful opportunity for them to catch up with one another and see how their lives have been whilst they were apart. But alas, a strange attraction between the two of them is going to make this one awkward weekend. One where they need to decide, as to whether or not to indulge in the strange feelings now brewing within their hearts. 

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So, just in case that plot summary has you slightly confused, let’s just go ahead and get it out in the open right now and point out… that this movie features incest as one of its central themes. Which is something that will undoubtedly make audiences uncomfortable because that’s about as taboo a subject as it gets, one that is understandably looked down upon in our modern world for reasons we don’t need to rehash here. Instead, we need to take a moment and examine exactly why writer and star Christina Parrish (Lisa) would choose to make this the focal point of a comedy movie and well, once you get past the unsettling nature of the subject matter, it becomes clear that Christina’s script is designed to shake up the comedy genre and offer up an interesting perspective/commentary on sex and how people perceive it in modern America. 

For this movie does a phenomenal job of pointing out that regardless of how progressive we’ve become in our modern world, sex is still an uncomfortable and taboo topic. Because the sly jokes we sometimes tell involving it, or the innuendo that people are sometimes keen to imply, is often awkward and weird and since we are taught to steer clear of sex and not acknowledge its existence when we are young, jokes and innuendo can be supremely confusing to the youth of the world and can lead to all kinds of misunderstandings on their part. Which sets up the most important analysis present in this film. In that, it also points out the need to educate people on sex further, so they understand that sex is natural and normal and something we shouldn’t make weird or uncomfortable. Which is quite the surprising analysis to find in a comedy about a brother and sister that want to hook up, but that is the point of putting something so wild and out there into this script.

Because it forces you to focus on the commentary, so you don't have to deal with the uncomfortable part and in many ways, the educational aspect of the plot is designed to inform the audience that learning might prevent the weird thing you’re seeing and that makes this movie quite the fascinating comedy when all is said and done. Simply because it uses a mix of unique and popular shock devices, a staple of the genre, to get your attention and it definitely succeeds at that and… it’s also a supremely funny movie as well. For it does feature plenty of goofy characters and hilarious moments for them to take part in and really, in the end, all of these elements make this a worthwhile watch. Provided of course you can handle the subject matter. Because if you cannot, then this movie is not for you. But if you can look past that, then you'll be treated to a genuinely funny comedy, one that ​that pushes the envelope and offers up some interesting commentary on our modern society.

Bonus: Here is an exclusive clip from 'Call Me Brother' for all of you to enjoy. 

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