Even if you didn’t watch The Real Bros of Simi Valley during its three-season run, it’s likely you’ve seen GIFs or clips of a handful of scenes as they’ve made their way around the internet the last few years. The two most popular are easily “Bro, I’m straight up not having a good time” and “Yo Xan, get your boy, dawg.” As great as those moments are, they’re just a glimpse into what the show had to offer. So how does it fare as a movie, nearly four years after its last episode?
The Real Bros of Simi Valley Plot
If you’re unfamiliar with the show, it’s a parody reality show, satirizing the lifestyle and culture of Southern California, in the vein of other reality shows, namely Jersey Shore and the Real Housewives series. It follows a group of nine friends in the titular Simi Valley in California. It’s a true ensemble cast, though Jimmy Tatro (who also directed and co-wrote with his longtime friend and creative partner Christian Pierce; the two co-created the show together) is ostensibly the lead as Xander, the de facto leader of the squad.
Picking up a couple years after the conclusion of season three, Real Bros finds the crew gearing up for their 10 year high school reunion. As the self-proclaimed sickest crew in their high school, they make it their mission to prove to everyone they’re still as dope as ever, if not even doper. And with the purchase of a brand new truck, Xander hopes to take home the coveted Truck of the Year Award handed out at every Simi High 10 year anniversary.
The Real Bros of Simi Valley Critique
Right off the bat, it’s completely clear Real Bros is not a serious movie in any way whatsoever. Sure, if you squint hard enough, there are glimpses of deeper themes and messaging sprinkled in. Don’t judge your happiness and and success off the happiness and success of others. If you’re happy, be content with who you are and where you’re at in life. Xander and his wife Molly (Colleen Donovan) have some very obvious marital problems. But those are often played as a joke, and are quickly resolved. And that’s fine. That’s not the movie Real Bros wants to be.
And that also makes it a pretty easy movie to critique. Do you like the mockumentary setup? Is this your style of humor? Do you find the characters interesting? If yes, then you’ll like it. There is such little story here, with such low stakes, that those aspects essentially don’t matter for how “good” the overall movie is.
The humor, though, is unique. You’re not going to find many movies (I can’t come up with any off the top of my head) with this kind of collection of characters. They’re very “bro-ey” and as a parody, the script leans hard into it.
For better or worse (better, in my opinion), Real Bros uses that style and setup to set itself apart from every other comedy out there right now. And for comedies these days, that’s really saying something, and is an impressive to pull off.
The biggest thing Real Bros has going for it is the cast and therefore characters as well. The entire main cast from the show returns, and they all jump right back into their roles as if the show ended yesterday. They all had three seasons to hone their characters, and it pays off in spades with the movie.
All the ins and outs, the smaller details for each of them, all of those were already known, and every character gets their own moment or two to shine. The cast already had great chemistry to work with. Some hurdles that other movies might have to work through, Real Bros didn’t have to give a second thought to.
While the humor and characters are the sole reasons for watching Real Bros, being so committed to the bit will likely push some newer viewers away. I appreciate it, but I was also coming in as a fan of the show. There are also certain character moments and storylines (one in particular with Xander and Molly’s son) where the jokes won’t fully land without having the context from the series. It’s not a huge ding against Real Bros, but there are a handful of moments and jokes like this, not just one or two. It’s still a low barrier of entry, but it bears mentioning.
In Conclusion
The Real Bros of Simi Valley: The Movie is a terrific follow-up to the show. Tatro and Pierce have such a feel for these characters and that’s evident in every scene. Fans of the show don’t need to be sold on the movie. It’s more of what you already know and love, simple as that. New viewers may not be drawn into the overly “bro-ey” style and some of the more outlandish aspects. But I’d encourage everyone to give it a shot (watch the trailer first), as it’s in line to finish as one of the year’s funniest movies.
If you want to check out the show before watching the movie, the entire series is available on Tatro’s Life According to Jimmy YouTube channel.
The Real Bros of Simi Valley: The Movie is now streaming on The Roku Channel.
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