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Every family faces their own challenges and heartbreaks. And in the family road trip drama Little Brother, two very different siblings wrestle with the difficulties in their relationship and their family as they set out on a difficult journey home to their parents.
Little Brother sets out on a cross-country road trip with Jake Duffy (Daniel Diemer), who’s flown to New Mexico to bring his older brother, Pete (Philip Ettinger), home to Washington following his latest suicide attempt. The two brothers couldn’t be much more different—but, directed by their domineering father (J.K. Simmons), they suddenly find themselves stuck in their grandmother’s old van on a thousand-mile journey. And as the miles pass, they struggle to rediscover a connection as Jake tries to understand his brother’s ongoing challenges with his mental health.
As the brothers set out for home, the film paints a fascinating portrait of these two men and the dynamics of their relationship. Jake may be five years younger, but he’s the stable, responsible one—the one with a degree and a job and a girlfriend, who’s tasked with keeping his troubled older brother safe. He’s the one who does the driving—because his brother is never sober enough. And throughout the journey, Jake wrestles with his feelings, his memories of the past, and his frustration with his brother’s inability to deal with his depression.
For the most part, Little Brother is a quiet film. As Jake and Pete travel across the country, they don’t talk a lot—and much of the movie is made up of rolling shots of the stunning scenery, accompanied by calm instrumental music, as the brothers travel in silence. Through most of the film, not much happens. When the brothers do talk, though, their conversations are often moving and meaningful—whether they’re sharing memories from their childhood or opening up about their feelings surrounding Pete’s numerous suicide attempts or trying to understand one another’s perspective. And though the film’s conclusion may leave viewers wondering how their story will play out after their journey comes to an end, the characters take some important steps in their relationship along the way.
Little Brother isn’t a big, bold family drama, with dialogue that’s designed to tug at viewers’ heartstrings. Instead, it’s quietly emotional—a simple and often deliberately-paced story about family and mental health that will nevertheless both move and challenge viewers.
You can find Little Brother in select theaters and on demand beginning on September 17, 2024.
Listen to the review on Reel Discovery:
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