Bruiser

2022

1 hr. 37 min.

Drama

List

100%

23 Reviews

Tomatometer

74%

50+ Ratings

Audience Score

14-year-old Darious explores the boundaries of his manhood with Malcolm, his strict but loving father, and Porter, a charismatic drifter. When Darious learns Porter's true identity, he is thrust into a conflict between the two men.

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Madeline K

Incredible! So sensitively done. Fabulous writing and acting and directing. And amazing cinematography.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

12/16/23

Full Review

Wayne M

Bruiser is an immensely powerful film about manhood, fatherhood and toxic masculinity. It's poetic and brutal, a very impressive film from director Miles Warren. Darious is a teenage boy living with his parents. He has friends but is also bullied. His father Malcolm is a solid citizen but is also a strong disciplinarian which Darious struggles with. One day Darious comes across Porter, seemingly a drifter who lives by the river. Porter is cool and engaging. He rides a motorcycle and likes cool music. Darious is enamoured with him and finds a connection there that he doesn't have with Malcolm. But there is back story between Malcolm and Porter which drives a stake in all the relationships. This superb film explores what it is to be a father and how to mentor responsibly, whilst also examining the growth of a teenage boy. There is growing brutality in this film as it reaches an explosive point. But there is also a poetry aided by a resonant music score. Performances are note perfect and honest, especially Jalyn Hall as Darious. This might be a small film in stature but it's undoubtedly a highly impressive one in scope.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

07/19/23

Full Review

gorqeousz h

The ending pissed me off. I wanted to know the full story behind why the step father was so angry and why the biological father was trying to steal his son a way from them. Something just didn't seem right. If you saw it, you know. Other than that, the movie was alright.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

03/13/23

Full Review

Michelle W

Excellent. One of the best movies I've seen in years. Edge of my seat at times.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

03/11/23

Full Review

Millie C

Bruiser has a haunting quality and it has stayed with me in the days since. You can feel the tension in and between the characters, and their desire to succeed in the different worlds they inhabit. The acting is fantastic.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

03/05/23

Full Review

Latina W

It is a slower paced movie, but the cinematography is beautiful. You get scenes of tension & a little bit of action. I just hate, that they don't put a bow on this at the end. I think if they would have ended it correctly, this may have been one of my favorite movies of the year. So if you're a dad, a present father or absentee dad trying to get it together, you should watch this film. This is a dad's film. Or if you're a son, whos had a strained relationship with a father. It's a solid watch

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

03/04/23

Full Review

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Miles Warren

Director

Trevante Rhodes

Porter

Shamier Anderson

Malcolm

Shinelle Azoroh

Monica

Jalyn Hall

Darious

Jonah Bishop-Pirrone

Mike

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Robert Daniels

The Playlist

“Bruiser” is an anxious film filled with unmistakable beauty and obsessed with conceptions of family, love, growth, the past, and the future.

Rated: B

Feb 25, 2023

Full Review

Noel Murray

Los Angeles Times

What makes “Bruiser” so affecting is that Warren doesn’t keep any of these characters locked into types.

Feb 24, 2023

Full Review

Brian Tallerico

RogerEbert.com

I have a feeling we will look back on “Bruiser” as the affirmation of two major talents in Hall and Warren. Like Darious himself, they’re just getting started.

Rated: 3/4

Feb 24, 2023

Full Review

Lucas Moore

JVS Media & Productions/Team JVS

This is an emotionally raw film about how a child's longing can manifest in ways a parent can never understand. Full of great performances, this is a must see film especially for fathers and sons..

Rated: A

Aug 11, 2023

Full Review

Emma Clark-Dow

Stuff.co.nz

This film explores the idea of toxic masculinity from every generation, while championing Black voices and profiling a young man’s journey to living a more compassionate life.

Mar 10, 2023

Full Review

Aaron Neuwirth

We Live Entertainment

It builds to a breaking point that I’m not sure works all the way, but the film is never less than compelling in reaching its ultimate conclusion.

Rated: 7/10

Mar 7, 2023

Full Review

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Synopsis

14-year-old Darious explores the boundaries of his manhood with Malcolm, his strict but loving father, and Porter, a charismatic drifter. When Darious learns Porter's true identity, he is thrust into a conflict between the two men.

Director: Miles Warren
Executive Producer: Andrew Swett, Alex Black, Jon Rosenberg, Natalie Sellers
Screenwriter: Ben Medina, Miles Warren, Miles Warren, Ben Medina
Production Co: Lyrical Media, Ryder Picture Company
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Feb 24, 2023

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