Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Graphic
- grim
- stoic
- darkly ironic
- crime film marathon
- late night viewing
What critics said
Critics generally found Kitano's direction, dark humor, and elegant compositions effective, but judged the film weakened by hollow bloodshed, flat characterization, and a clumsy gangster plot.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Aniki Yamamoto protects his half brother Denny while building a criminal organization in Los Angeles and confronting shifting alliances.
The Japanese yakuza protagonist carries his established rules of honor and violence into the multicultural Los Angeles drug trade.
The film pairs elegant compositions and poised movement with abrupt confrontations, assassinations, and carnage.
Aniki governs his relationships and criminal decisions through loyalty and yakuza notions of honor despite betrayals and changing power structures.
Films like Brother, and why
Sonatine
shared yakuza crime framework, stoic violence, loyalty codes, and restrained dark humor
Hana-bi
shared Japanese gangster milieu, ritualized violence, fatalistic masculinity, and stylized compositions
Gomorrah
shared crime saga structure, gang expansion, betrayal, and American gangster-film influence
The Departed
shared urban gang warfare, bleak criminal ambition, and violent loyalty dynamics
Movie Details
- Director
- Takeshi Kitano
- Release Date
- 2000-12-13
- Runtime
- 113 min
- Rating
- 7.1 / 10 (546)
Cast
- Takeshi Kitano
- Omar Epps
- Claude Maki
- Susumu Terajima
- Masaya Katō
- Royale Watkins
- Lombardo Boyar
- Ryo Ishibashi
- James Shigeta
- Tatyana Ali
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Brother about?
- An exiled yakuza enforces an old code of loyalty while building a fragile criminal empire with his half brother in Los Angeles.
- What is Brother like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Brother as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Brother violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in Brother as graphic.
- What did critics think of Brother?
- Critics generally found Kitano's direction, dark humor, and elegant compositions effective, but judged the film weakened by hollow bloodshed, flat characterization, and a clumsy gangster plot.
- Which films are like Brother?
- Films with a similar feel include Sonatine, Hana-bi, Gomorrah, and The Departed.
- How long is Brother?
- Brother runs 113 minutes.
- Where can I watch Brother?
- In United States, Brother is available to rent or buy from Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home.
