Warning: Major spoilers for Amazon’s Brothers below!Brothersoffers a dark flipside to one of Clint Eastwood’s most profitable movies.Brothersappears to be heavily inspired by the Arnold Schwarzenegger/Danny DeVito jointTwins, where the mismatched stars played identical twins. While not an official remake by any stretch,Brothersriffs onTwinsin several ways. This includes the main characters going on a road trip that involves meeting their mother, while also being stalked by a relentless criminal trying to acquire an item they’re holding onto.
This even extends toBrothers’ending sequence, where the twins are chased around by the movie’s villain (played by Brendan Fraser) with a shotgun. The key difference between the two, however, is tone.Twinsis a goofy comedy fit for the whole family, whileBrothersis littered with pitch-black comedy throughout.The cast ofBrothers 2024- including leads Josh Brolin and Peter Dinklage - are having a great time reveling in the griminess of the screenplay, even though there is some warmth underneath all the bad taste gags.
Brothers' Creepiest Scene Homages Clint Eastwood’s Every Which Way But Loose
Brothers' orangutan setpiece was designed to gross people out
One of the key sequencesBrothers' trailer showed off involved Josh Brolin’s Moke being pursued by an amorous orangutan. What the previewdidn’tshow was what happens between the pair, which in the final movie involves Samuel the Orangutan using Moke’s hand for a most distasteful act. It is a sequence that feels right out of the bad taste comedies that followed in the wake ofAmerican Pie, and one that people who watch the film are unlikely to forget in a hurry.
The scene with Samuel in Brothers is a super dark twist on Clyde and the whole idea of a comic relief orangutan.
ThisBrothers' scene calls to mind Clint Eastwood’sEvery Which Way but Loosetoo. This bizarre 1978 comedy received poor reviews upon release (it currently stands at 48% onRotten Tomatoes) but was a shock box office success. Eastwood himself recalled people advising him against making the movie, where he plays a bare-knuckle boxer whose best friend is an orangutan named Clyde. The film mines practically all its humor from Clyde, be it the way he drinks beer alongside Eastwood’s Philo or how he flips people off.
The scene with Samuel inBrothersis a super dark twist on Clyde and the whole idea of a comic relief orangutan. Brolin’s Moke is initially charmed by Samuel’s antics like smoking weed, but in keeping with the Amazon comedy’s willingness to get dark, the scene takes an unsettling turn. Needless to say, Clint’sEvery Which Way but Loosedidn’t feel the need to go in such a bleak direction.
Every Which Way but Loose’sClyde was played by Manis the Orangutan.
Every Which Way But Loose Is Still Clint Eastwood’s Most Successful Movie
The Every Which Way… series is Clint’s most unlikely franchise
Looking back on Clint’s career as an actor and director, he has been surprisingly open to taking risks. Be it less commercial projects likeHonkytonk ManorWhite Hunter Black Heart, to starring in a soppy romance likeThe Bridges of Madison County, Eastwood has taken a few gambles with his screen image.Another of Eastwood’s big risks wasEvery Which Way but Loose, a film nobody believed would work, only to become one of the biggest releases of 1978when it arrived.
Every Which Way But Loose Is Clint Eastwood’s Most Successful Movie
Despite starring in a number of iconic movies, Clint Eastwood’s most successful project as an actor is still comedy Every Which Way But Loose.
In fact,Every Which Way but Looseis Clint’s most successful movie. It grossed $104 million (viaThe Numbers), which amounts to around $500 million in 2024. It was such a hit, that Eastwood and Clyde quickly returned for the sequelAny Which Way You Can. The follow-up was another hit - though it grossed notably less than its predecessor - and out ofClint Eastwood’s franchises, theEvery Which Way… duology is easily the strangest.
Brothers' Orangutan Sequence Subverts Every Which Way But Loose’s Entire Premise
No, orangutans don’t make for great pets
The reason Moke ends up in such a sticky situation with Samuel is because his brother is visiting Bethesda (Marisa Tomei), a hippy he was corresponding with while in prison. Bethesda keeps Samuel as her pet/roommate, despite the orangutan’s tendency to get overexcited. Now,part ofEvery Which Way but Loose’ssuccess during the 1970s was due to the novelty of Clint interacting with Clyde, and seeing the orangutan acting in such a human manner.
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The Every Which Way… Movies
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Of course, the reality of keeping an orangutan as a pet would be far less wacky and lighthearted. In that sense,Brothersreally flipsEvery Which Way but Loose’sconcept on its head, underling that making an orangutan a pet is a terrible ideaall around. It still works out in Beshesda’s favor later in the story when Sammy saves her from Brendan Fraser’s Farful - with the movie implying that Farful’s encounter was no less distressing than Moke’s.
The concept of keeping an orangutan as a pet isn’t a funny gimmick to audiences anymore, with Amazon’s Brothers deciding that dark laughs are the only way to make it work.
While there was talk of anEvery Which Way but Looseremake during the 2010s,Brothersshows why that is unlikely. Keeping an orangutan as a pet isn’t a funny gimmick to audiences anymore, with Amazon’s comedy deciding that dark laughs are the only way to make it work. It’s certainly the most memorable scene ofBrothers, though in keeping with the movie’s issues, it’s not as funny as it should be.
Brothers
Cast
Brothers (2024) is a film centered around the complex dynamic between two siblings navigating personal and familial challenges. Directed by nan, the movie explores themes of brotherhood, loyalty, and redemption as the characters confront their past and seek reconciliation.
Every Which Way But Loose
Every Which Way But Loose is a 1978 action-comedy starring Clint Eastwood as Philo Beddoe, a trucker and bare-knuckle fighter who embarks on a cross-country journey. Accompanied by his pet orangutan Clyde, Philo faces a series of humorous and challenging encounters while searching for love. Sondra Locke and Geoffrey Lewis co-star in this film, directed by James Fargo, which blends action, comedy, and adventure.
