“FUCK ‘EM!!! IF YOU’RE NOT A HOMOPHOBIC PIECE OF SHIT, GO SEE BROS!!!” This is the response from Billy Eichner, star and co-writer of Bros, on the review bombing of his upcoming film. Set to release on September 30th in theaters, Bros, a romantic comedy focusing on two gay men, is the latest film to become the target of review bombing, defined by the Urban Dictionary as “the act of giving someone or something a bunch of overly negative reviews using a multitude of alternate accounts in order to artificially decrease their rating out of spite.”
Review bombing has become a preferred weapon of choice over recent years as a negative response to movies and television shows that portray female superheroes, LGBTQ characters, and many other social justice themes. Examples of this include Captain Marvel, Black Panther, Eternals, Ghostbusters (2016), Batwoman, and recently She-Hulk: Attorney at Law.
While Rotten Tomatoes changed its policy on users posting reviews before a film or TV show is released in 2019, IMDb allowed pre-release reviews, and on Friday, September 23rd, this allowed 312 one-star (out of ten stars) reviews on Bros bringing the forthcoming film’s rating down to 5.5/10. IMDb scrubbed all user ratings of Bros from its website and barred any new reviews.
Currently, the Rotten Tomatoes score for Bros is 94% with reviewers Joey Moser of Awards Daily saying, “Not only is Bros one of the funniest films of the year, but it’s one of the best.” and Glenn Sumi of NOW Toronto adding, “A comedy classic that is as likable and mainstream as its title, but deeply subversive too.”
Related: ‘Bros’ Trailer Showcases, Love, Laughs, And Plenty Of Sex In This Gay Rom Com
Eichner himself took to both his Twitter and TikTok accounts to express his thoughts on the review bombing of his film.
Oh but don’t go today. It’s not open yet. ONLY IN THEATERS ONE WEEK FROM TODAY!!!
— billy eichner (@billyeichner) September 23, 2022
@billyeichner FUCK’EM!! If you’re not homophobic, GO SEE BROS!!! 5 DAYS TO GO!!! Link to buy tickets in bio!!! #brosmovie
While the review bombs from IMDb can’t be found, there are some people putting their negative thoughts about Bros on Twitter.
Let us know what you think in the comments or on our social media accounts.
Sources: The Urban Dictionary, Comic Book Resources, Forbes, Screen Rant, Vox, Pink News, Billy Eichner Official Twitter Account, Billy Eichner Official TikTok Account, Rotten Tomatoes
I don’t know why imdb allows early reviews. I could totally tell the homophobes were out in droves rating it low. I believe it was at a 4.2 or lower before they fixed it.