JESUS,BRO!-REVIEW

Need a fun comedy for Easter? This will do a good job to make you laugh.


This is probably gonna end up on the short side, not cause it's bad, but because there's really not much I can say without getting into spoilers, or just repeating jokes the movie makes.

As far as internet critics go, Brad Jones is definitely a favorite of mine, which is why I'm happy to report his newest film, Jesus,Bro! Is actually a funny feature, not perfect, but funny all the same. When it comes to films made by the youtuber community, there's definitely more misses than hits, I was incredibly kind to a few I'll admit, just because I lowered my standards given the background, so, it pleases me to say that I enjoyed this, not because I lowered my expectations, but because it is a well done parody.

I've seen quite a few of the faith-based features Jesus,Bro! mocks, there's no denying director Ryan Mitchelle gets them. The jokes, characters, even the way the whole movie is shot are all very reminiscent of the material being lampooned, which brings a level of authenticity that is sorely lacking in many spoof films of the last decade. The double-edged sword here though, is the way it is shot, I thought it worked given the subject, but I imagine those unfamiliar with the joke on display will feel like this just looks cheap. This is an indie film, so cheap is to be expected, but it's acceptable here because actual faith-based films tend to look like this, still not everyone watches these kinds of films, so I understand why the look may turn off some viewers. Those who do stick around will pleasantly find a well written script, courtesy of Mitchelle and Jones, even if you never saw the movies being laughed at, you will laugh at a number of jokes, I've never seen 19 kids and Counting, and even I could barely contain myself at the absurd jab they make here about it. Perhaps the greatest strength though, comes in the runtime, this is a short film, which means the jokes come quick and consistently, it never drags and feels compact, for that, I applaud the writers.

As for the story itself, it's a decent set up, David Gobble plays an atheist vlogger known as the Rickhead, after a break up with his girlfriend (played by Allison Pregler) leads him to drink his pain away, the Rickhead encounters Christ (played by Rob Walker), in a form he once joked about, a cross between Santa and Christ, Rick is ordered to then bring more followers to Christianity, a task that proves to be hard. Along the way, Rick faces his fans, an atheist entertainment mogul, and even Satan himself, all just to get his girlfriend back.

The actors are all fine here, even if they're not the best around you can see a passion in the material that works to their favor, making them likable for the entire runtime. I also have to give props to the team for making Rick, Satan and Santa Christ all feel like a product of this film despite being pre-existing characters. Not once did I feel like the team were just recycling material from their shows, you can be unaware of the prior work these people have done and still get a laugh.

Jesus,Bro! Isn't a perfect comedy, the actors can be a bit amateur, the look may turn off some because it does look cheap, but it has passion and confidence in itself. The writing is always funny, and it knows how to keep this working in it's short runtime. I recommend you watch this, preferably on a religious holiday, or while on a faith-based film binge, you'll have some fun here.

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Written by Octaviano Macias