“Brothers” key art featuring Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson.
Apple TV
Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson’s “Brothers” isn’t getting an enormous amount of love from Rotten Tomatoes’ critics.
Brothers stars McConaughey and Harrelson as fictionalized versions of themselves. Even though the actors have been longtime friends, their world is turned upside down when Matthew’s mother, Ma Mac (Holland Taylor), accidentally reveals a shocking family secret that he and Woody are half-brothers.
Created by David West Read, Lee Eisenberg and Harrelson, Brothers also stars Ella Grace Helton and Barry Corbin.
Officially considered Brothers Season 1, the series premiered on Apple TV with the its first two episodes on Wednesday at 3 a.m. ET/12 a.m. PT. The review embargo lifted after the premiere.
As of Wednesday midday, Brothers has earned a 56% “rotten” score on Rotten Tomatoes’ Tomatometer based on 27 reviews. RT’s Critics’ Consensus, Audience Summary and Popcornmeter score based on verified user ratings are still pending.
Brothers marks the fourth time McConaughey and Harrelson have starred in a screen project together. In 1999, the actors played brothers Ed and Ray Pekurny in director Ron Howard’s comedy EDtv, and both starred in the 2008 comedy Surfer, Dude.
Before Brothers, the duo’s most notable project together was the first season of True Detective. The HBO anthology crime series remains the highest-ranked of all of McConaughey and Harrelson’s projects to date, with a 91% “fresh” critics’ score on RT’s Tomatometer based on 99 reviews.
EDtv had a 64% “fresh” score based on 47 reviews, while Surfer, Dude was the lowest-ranked project featuring the duo with a lowly 0% “rotten” score based on 18 reviews.
Note: The RT critics’ score for “Brothers” will be adjusted accordingly once more reviews are posted on the site.
What Are Individual Critics Saying About ‘Brothers’?
Kelly Lawler of USA Today is among the RT’s critics who give Brothers a “rotten” score, writing, “So what “Brothers” ends up as is one part celebrity gossip parody, one part buddy comedy and one part vanity project.”
Lauren Sarner of the New York Post also gives Brothers a “rotten” score, writing on RT, “It’s a messy stew of ideas that’s occasionally amusing. Mostly, however, the show is self-indulgent and aimless.”
Also deeming Brothers “rotten” on RT is Ben Travers of IndieWire, who writes in his review summary, “It’s a more traditional sitcom than anything odd or challenging. But as soon as you notice what’s not in the series, the absences keep stacking up.
Erik Adams of AV Club also splatters Brothers with a “rotten” review on RT, writing, “We’re watching a time the fake Harrelsons and fake McConaugheys will never forget. If only we could remember anything about the show two or three months from now.”
Liam Matthews of TV Guide is also among the series’ detractors, writing in his “rotten” review summary on RT, “ It’s an unusual move for stars of McConaughey and Harrelson’s stature to create a show for themselves that can be compared to Two and a Half Men, especially when the real story has so much dramatic potential.”
Helen O’Hara of Empire Magazine is among the top critics on RT who give the series a “fresh” rating. In her RT review summary, O’Hara calls Brothers “an amiable, gently amusing caper based on a legend and propped up by two wildly overqualified leads. If anything it’s a little overstuffed; this only ever needed to be a hangout show with the likeable stars.
Judy Berman of TIME Magazine also awards Brothers a “fresh” score on RT, writing that the series is “built to satisfy as broad a range of their fans as possible. Disjointed but breezy, it coasts on the chemistry between its leads.
Brothers had just enough for Nick Schager of The Daily Beast to give it a “fresh” score. He notes on RT, “It’s amiable enough to sustain eight half-hour episodes — but just barely.”
James Jackson of The Times (U.K.) also deems Brothers “fresh” on RT, writing, “It’s patchy, but with a couple of escapades each episode, the series gathers a kind of easygoing momentum: harmless, just about endearing enough, yet undermined by being so inconsequential.”
Woody Harrelson and Matthew McConaughey in “Brothers.”
Apple TV
‘Brothers’ Season 1 Release Schedule Consists Of Eight Episodes
New episodes of Brothers Season 1 will premiere on Apple TV on Wednesdays at 3 a.m. ET/12 a.m. PT. This season’s episodes will be released as follows:
Episode 1: On the Road — Sept. 23
Episode 2: The Hunt — Sept. 23
Episode 3: Little Woody — Sept. 30
Episode 4: Title To Be Announced — Oct. 7
Episode 5: Title TBA — Oct. 14
Episode 6: Title TBA — Oct. 21
Episode 7: Title TBA — Oct. 28
Episode 8: Title TBA — Nov. 4
Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson’s Brothers is rated TV-MA.
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