Bromance movie review: A lively and exuberant ride led by Mathew Thomas and Mahima Nambiar

While Shinto (Shyam Mohan) is held in high regard by his parents and relatives, he is something of a burden for his younger brother Binto (Mathew Thomas). It’s not that Binto doesn’t love him, but Shinto’s near-perfect image has set an impossibly high standard for him — one that the carefree and hot-tempered Binto can never meet. However, everything changes when Shinto goes missing from Ernakulam, where he had been working. After receiving a call from Shinto’s friend Shabeer (Arjun Ashokan), Binto arrives in the city to search for his brother. But upon digging deeper, he discovers that Shinto had been leading a double life, far removed from the “Mr Perfect” image all believed in. His search also reveals that Shinto had a string of ex-girlfriends, including Aishwarya (Mahima Nambiar).

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Determined to uncover the truth, Binto embarks on a chaotic journey, pulling Aishwarya, Shabeer, ethical hacker Hariharasudhan (Sangeeth Prathap) and local goon Courier Babu (Kalabhavan Shajohn) too into the mess. However, as they dive deeper, events quickly spiral out of control, dragging them to Virajpet, where they find themselves up against some big shots from Kodagu (formerly Coorg). But how is Shinto connected to all this, and will they be able to save him? That forms the crux of the narrative.

Although Bromance doesn’t open on a particularly fun or stylish note, director Arun quickly entrusts composer Govind with the task of setting the mood and he delivers spectacularly with the sleek and trippy “Local Gen-Z Anthem”. The song’s vibrant visuals match its energy, together offering glimpses of the lively and exuberant ride that’s about to begin. From that point on, Raveesh Nath and Thomas P Sebastian, who penned the screenplay and dialogues, take charge, crafting a packed narrative punctuated by well-timed high points that keep the momentum going. However, the script stumbles due to its excessive reliance on certain elements and plot devices, limiting its ability to explore other promising directions and leaving many aspects of the story underdeveloped. For instance, the film establishes early on that Binto struggles with anger management, yet this trait adds little substance to the overall narrative. Rather than weaving it meaningfully into the plot, the film simply repeats instances of him boiling over, muttering in frustration or occasionally lashing out physically, without delving deeper into its implications.

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While Raveesh and Thomas succeed in giving equal prominence to all central characters, the sheer number of them prevents any from being explored beyond the surface level. As a result, the leads remain little more than names with a few defining traits and plenty of dialogues. While the script does manage to deliver a fair share of laughs — thanks largely to the bizarre and chaotic situations the characters find themselves in, amplified by the actors’ chemistry — much of its comedic potential goes untapped due to underwhelming dialogues. Several moments — such as Aishwarya’s initially overhyped Kasaragod roots, Binto’s hot-tempered blunt outbursts and Shabeer getting high after accidentally consuming weed brownies — could have offered more effective humour if the dialogues had been sharp, but they end up falling flat. Also, Bromance features one of the most poorly executed uses of Chekhov’s gun principle in recent memory, involving honeycombs and honeybees in a way that feels extremely silly.

While Bromance differs significantly in aesthetics and setting from Arun’s previous films, he has masterfully constructed the world here, enhanced by Nimesh M Thanoor’s outstanding production design. The director’s craftsmanship is especially evident in scenes featuring multiple central characters, where he maintains a seamless rhythm without making the visuals feel cluttered. However, the repeated emphasis on Binto’s smartwatch displaying his rising heart rate every time he got angry felt like an uninspired artistic choice, which wasn’t particularly engaging even the first time.

While Bromance differs significantly in aesthetics and setting from Arun’s previous films, he has masterfully constructed the world here. (Credit: Facebook/@ashiq.usman.5)

Mathew Thomas delivers a solid performance as Binto, demonstrating notable growth as an actor and proving his capability for more mature roles. However, his angry outbursts, at times, come across as unpolished and amateurish, suggesting he could have benefited from stronger guidance in those moments. Mahima Nambiar also shines, particularly in comedic scenes, while Arjun Ashokan, despite being weighed down by an underdeveloped character, delivers impressively towards the film’s end. Bromance also highlights that he would be phenomenal in a fully trippy, eccentric role — one that, if well-written, he could absolutely own.

Following his iconic portrayal of Amal Davis in Premalu (2024), Sangeeth once again proves his comedic talent, elevating even the film’s weaker moments with his unique touches. Kalabhavan Shajohn is equally compelling as the Ernakulam “Don Lee” Babu, while Shyam Mohan too leaves a strong impression despite limited screen time.

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Mashar Hamsa’s costume design and Ronex Xavier’s makeup work are also top-notch, while Supreme Sundar and Mafia Sasi’s stunt choreography, along with Shobi Paul Raj and Pramesh Dev’s dance sequences, deserve special recognition.

Bromance movie cast: Mathew Thomas, Mahima Nambiar, Arjun Ashokan, Sangeeth Prathap, Kalabhavan Shajohn, Shyam Mohan
Bromance movie director: Arun D Jose
Bromance movie rating: 2.5 stars