Don Lee
Seok-bong
The Bros
“Two brothers who never needed each other are now destined to be together!”
2017
1h 42m
Director: Jang Yoo-jung
Overview
Reunited in their hometown for their father's funeral, two self-interested brothers meet a peculiar woman who shares a huge secret about their family.
Cast
12 people
Reviews
4 min readThe Brothers We Never Knew We Had
I’ll admit it: I went into The Bros expecting a broad, knockabout comedy. Don Lee (Ma Dong-seok) has spent the last decade becoming Korea’s most lovable action tank—his hulking frame and deadpan delivery in Train to Busan made him an unlikely heartthrob. So when I heard he was starring in a road-trip comedy about estranged brothers, I braced for a string of physical gags and one-liners.
What I got instead was something far messier, and far more interesting: a film that treats family like a bad habit you can’t quit, even when it’s actively making you miserable.
That tension—between what we expect from a comedy and what this film actually wants to say—is present from the first frame. The opening scene is a masterclass in tonal whiplash. Lee Suk-bong (Don Lee), a self-absorbed gym trainer with the emotional range of a golden retriever, is mid-rant about his latest business failure when his phone rings.
It’s news of his father’s death. The camera lingers on his face as the color drains out of it—not in grief, but in the dawning horror of having to spend the next 48 hours with his older brother, Joo-bong (Lee Dong-hwi), a struggling novelist who still blames him for their mother’s death. The scene could’ve played for laughs (and there are a few), but Jang Yoo-jung’s direction refuses to let us off the hook.
The humor isn’t in the situation; it’s in the brothers’ desperate, futile attempts to avoid actually talking to each other.
What makes The Bros work—or at least, what makes it stick in my mind—is how stubbornly it resists easy resolutions. This isn’t a story about two men learning to love each other. It’s about two men who can’t love each other, not really, but who are bound together by something deeper than affection: shared history, shared guilt, and the kind of resentment that only family can breed.
Buzz & Rumors
Public reportsBehind the Scenes of The Bros (2017): A Comedy with Star Power and Mixed Reception
The Bros (2017), directed by Jang Yoo-jung, is a South Korean comedy that brought together a cast of rising and established stars, including Don Lee (Ma Dong-seok), Lee Dong-hwi, and Lee Hanee. While the film didn’t set the box office ablaze, it offered a glimpse into the chemistry—and challenges—of its ensemble. latestnetflix.com's take is that here’s what we know about the making of this quirky project.
A Cast of Familiar Faces
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dRccYyF2vDk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gOlsdp-YCn4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qGUL1kabze4
The film’s lineup reads like a who’s who of Korean genre talent. Don Lee, known for his action-hero roles in Train to Busan (2016) and The Roundup series, took a sharp turn into comedy here, playing one of two estranged brothers forced to reconcile. His co-star, Lee Dong-hwi, brought a contrasting energy as the more reserved sibling, a dynamic that fueled much of the film’s humor .
Supporting roles included Lee Hanee (Extreme Job), Jo Woo-jin (The Wailing), and Heo Sung-tae (Squid Game), adding depth to the film’s comedic and dramatic beats. The cast’s familiarity with each other—many had worked together before—likely smoothed the production, though no behind-the-scenes accounts confirm this .
Production and Promotion
The Bros was marketed as a lighthearted romp, with trailers emphasizing slapstick humor and sibling rivalry. The promotional push included a photo shoot featuring Don Lee, showcasing his signature burly charm even in a comedic context . Trailers hinted at a road-trip structure, with the brothers navigating absurd obstacles, though the final film’s pacing and tone divided critics .
The movie’s runtime clocks in at 102 minutes, a standard length for Korean comedies, and its genre was firmly labeled as a "comedy" by outlets like SensCritique 
. However, the film’s reception suggests it struggled to balance its humor with emotional stakes.
Reception: A Divided Audience
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PY_-IrUqYlE
The Bros earned a modest 5.5/10 on SensCritique, based on 108 votes—a lukewarm score that reflects its mixed appeal . Reviews, like the one from MovieFiendz, likely dissected its strengths (cast chemistry, physical comedy) and weaknesses (predictable plot, uneven tone), though the exact critiques aren’t detailed in the available snippets .
The film’s original title, Buradeo (a Korean transliteration of "The Bros"), didn’t seem to resonate strongly with international audiences, and it didn’t achieve the same cultural footprint as Don Lee’s action films. Still, for fans of Korean comedy, it remains a curiosity—a rare chance to see the actor in a purely comedic role.
The Verdict: A Missed Opportunity?
With limited behind-the-scenes details available, The Bros feels like a footnote in its stars’ careers rather than a standout project. The cast’s talent was undeniable, but the film’s execution may have fallen short of its ambitions. If you’re a Don Lee completist or a fan of Korean comedies, it’s worth a watch—but don’t expect a classic.
For now, the most intriguing takeaway is the cast’s willingness to experiment, even if the results were uneven.
Entertainment rumors and trivia aggregated from public reporting. Treat speculation as unverified unless a cited source confirms it.