Little Brother Review: Eric André Saves John Cena From a 100-Minute Trainwreck
Netflix’s new R-rated buddy comedy Little Brother dropped this weekend, pairing the absolute chaos of Eric André with the blockbuster muscle of John Cena. On paper? Sounds like a slam dunk.
In reality? It’s a classic 5/10 case of mindless fun that almost gets derailed by its own straight man.
And look, I am not a John Cena hater. The guy has proven time and time again that he is funny as hell when given the right material. But here? It just did not click.
The Problem With Cena’s Straight Man
The movie sets Cena up as the ultra-uptight real estate mogul playing the grounded straight man to André’s total lunatic. That part is fine. The problem happens when Cena’s character is supposed to get genuinely angry.
When the script calls for him to flip the switch and show some real rage, it just completely falls flat. The comedic timing evaporates, the performance feels forced, and instead of adding tension or a bigger laugh, it just derails the momentum.
It’s a rare miss for a guy who usually commands the screen.
Why It’s Still Worth a (One-Time) Watch
Thank god for Eric André.
André completely carries this movie on his back. Not only does he bring his trademark bizarre, boundary-pushing energy to every single scene, but he actually gives the film its entire heart.
Amidst all the hard-R, profane madness, his character brings a genuine sincerity that keeps the whole thing afloat.
Add in a stellar, livewire performance by Christopher Meloni as Cena’s condescending billionaire brother, and the movie has just enough moving parts to stay watchable.
The Verdict
Is it the worst thing on Netflix? Not even close. It’s breezy, mindless weekend fun if you just want to turn your brain off for 100 minutes.
But would I ever watch it again? Never. Ever.
Eric André gets all the credit for dragging this script across the finish line, but Cena's off-key performance keeps it from being anything memorable.
