This you, bro? Graphic by Reece Butler.
TORI SATCHWELL | STAFF REPORTER | tsatchwell@butler.edu
Do you watch the movie “Fight Club” and think, “Wow, they made a movie of my life?” Do you think “The Dark Knight” is one of the best movies ever made? Is your role model Patrick Bateman from “American Psycho”? Well, I hate to break it to you, but you are probably a film bro.
Film bros are the bane of the movie-watching community. They force everyone to submit to their so-called hot takes, which can also be found on the Reddit thread r/BlatantMisogyny.
With the emergence of movie-focused social media, like Letterboxd, it has become increasingly easy for people to review movies and find community. However, this increased sense of community has led to a division among cinephiles.
Worst of all, the stereotypical film bros are stealing the spotlight, creating a bad reputation for movie fans. Therefore, it is time to reclaim the title. Anyone can be a film bro; the only requirement is liking movies.
Senior English major Alena Finnell believes that the title of film bro can apply to all movie lovers, not just the stereotypical film bros.
“I think there’s different types of film bros,” Finnell said. “There [are] film bros that are solely obsessed with the MCU and superhero movies, [and ones] that are obsessed with Tarantino. There [are] certain subsets, but usually, their love for movies is around a particular type of movie.”
Just like the classic “Mean Girls”, everyone has a certain category they fall into, and once you are there, you are stuck there. For life.
Classic film bro
Worshiping Quentin Tarantino and Martin Scorsese is their full-time job. Classic film bros will always argue that “Pulp Fiction” is the best movie ever made and have a presentation ready to go detailing why.
Classic film bros also love a good blockbuster but will never admit it unless it received high praise on Rotten Tomatoes. For instance, film bros definitely saw “Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire” in theaters and thought it was a masterpiece, only to be devastated to see the 54% rating. Their Letterboxd ranking immediately changed to reflect the critics’ opinions because these so-called free thinkers need Roger Ebert to hold their hand and tell them which movies are good and which are not.
Pseudo-pretentious film bro
I don’t know how many times I have to say this: “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind” is not an underground movie. Pseudo-pretentious film bros get off on the fact they watch movies no one else has watched. However, they are truly just watching “Juno” and “Adventureland” and thinking that makes them better than everyone else.
However, as they progress in their movie-watching, they get even more insufferable by finally watching true underground movies. Pseudo-pretentious film bros strive to watch movies with the least amount of fans possible on Letterboxd. Once they are interviewed by Letterboxd and asked their top four, they can die peacefully knowing they said four movies that no one has ever heard of.
Junior psychology major Evan Sumner critiques the pseudo-pretentious film bros who love to hate on other movie fans.
“There’s a niche brand of film bro who’s like, ‘My favorite movie is this 12-hour ambient German piece on YouTube with five views,’” Sumner said. “They’re going to bash you because you told them your favorite movie is ‘High School Musical’.”
“I’m not a film bro” film bro
Watching “Clueless” instead of “Shutter Island” does not make you any less of a film bro. When you are still having extensive conversations on the complexity of the hand flex in “Pride & Prejudice”, you still have that film bro in you.
They will go out of their way to say “I’m not a film bro,” but watch a new movie every single day. And trust, they will let you know about every single movie they have ever watched in their lifetime.
When you are keeping up with movie news and seeking out movies that you know classic film bros will not gravitate towards, this is typical “I’m not a film bro” film bro behavior. If you purposely watch “Joker” just to make fun of it, then you have a serious problem. It’s me. I have the serious problem.
F*** the MCU film bro
Ever since their king — Francis Ford Coppola — denounced superhero movies, lots of film bros have magically stopped liking all Marvel and DC properties. Many film bros used to adore the intricacies of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. However, they miraculously now believe that superhero movies are beneath them.
Marvel movies just do not compare to the likes of “Taxi Driver” or “Raging Bull” according to F*** the MCU film bros. They believe that a movie only has worth if it is a slow character study that is a metaphor for the meaning of life. However, do not fret, I am sure they still love “Iron Man”.
Same taste as your grandparents film bro
If you think Hollywood just hasn’t made a good movie since the 1960s, I recommend a time machine. The same taste as your grandparents film bros believe that cinema hasn’t been the same since sound was introduced. They prefer to watch “City Lights” over something made in this century.
Same taste as your grandparents film bros scoff at modern-day cinema and its need for a spectacle and then watch the four-hour gargantuan “Lawrence of Arabia”. Hitchcock is their idol, and the mention of the word “remake” sends shivers down their spines.
Henry Bickel, a first-year creative media and entertainment major, believes that movie fans should bond over their common interest instead of letting it divide them.
“Movies are fun,” Bickel said. “People don’t have to be so mean about what you like. And “The Godfather”? Not that good.”
At the end of the day, we all have a little film bro in us. I love “Donnie Darko” just as much as I love “Alpha and Omega”.
If you love movies, scream it from the rooftops. Whether your favorite movie is “Barbie in the 12 Dancing Princesses” or “Reservoir Dogs”, take pride in being a film bro.
