There are many reasons one might want to watch The Brothers Sun. It has action, comedy, crime, and an amiable odd couple/mismatched pairing/family loyalty dynamic rife with easy dramedy. But unlike many shows and movies that feature these familiar qualities, The Brothers Sun has one thing that many similar creations do not: Michelle Yeoh. Yes, she is the top reason to watch the new Netflix series and those going straight for her performance will find the value by the end of this debut season.
‘The Brothers Sun’ Premise
After a surprise attack by a mysterious masked collective against Taipei’s top crime boss, the gangster’s assassin son heads to L.A., where his mother and brother live. His mom removed herself from the crime world, and his aspiring actor brother has no clue about his criminal side of the family. All three must meet and work together to protect themselves from the threat against their criminal empire.
Even with its Merits, This Won’t Be a Contender for Best Show of 2024
Brad Falchuk is the best-known name on the creative side of The Brothers Sun, and his reputation proceeds him despite some mixed reviews. He and TV extraordinaire Ryan Murphy made Glee and American Horror Story together, and he was certainly overdue for a shake-up (and a separation from his creative partner) after two sequel series in a row. The Brothers Sun gleams with the excess of violence and often dark humor that Falchuk and co-creator Byron Wu intended, but like many of Falchuk’s credits, the results are still underwhelming.
Judging by the pilot alone, Michelle Yeoh’s presence does not help boost confidence in The Brothers Sun. There is some solid action choreography, but the opening hour does not instill much beyond rote characterization for the viewer’s investment in the central trio. The titular brothers get the most screen time, and impatient viewers will be left wondering what, aside from a couple of fight scenes, is worth taking the entire eight-hour ride of this new series.
Sam Song Li in ‘The Brothers Sun’
Binge-Watching and Going with the Flow Suits ‘The Brothers Sun’ Best
Luckily, as the runtime progresses, The Brothers Sun continues to show more Yeoh and deliver on its promise of blended genre maneuvering. Taken as one entity, Yeoh’s role in The Brothers Sun capitalizes on a slower reveal of interactions with her two sons alongside her notable movie martial arts training. Like in her other recent motherly showcases (Everything Everywhere All at Once and American Born Chinese), she has dipped into a reservoir of refined comedic and dramatic balance that is at its peak nowadays, even in lesser products like The Brothers Sun. Despite the show’s flaws, Yeoh gets her time to shine by the end of this new Netflix series, and the surrounding elements are a bright, colorful distraction that warrants a quick, easy binge-watch.
The Brothers Sun is streaming now on Netflix.