The late great John Singleton was a filmmaker who was truly ahead of his time and was completely unwilling to ever be confined to one area of focus. While Singleton broke out in Hollywood with his directorial debut, Boyz n the Hood, for which he became the youngest and first Black nominee for Best Director in the history of the Academy Awards, he continued to make interesting genre movies. Some may have seen Singleton’s shift towards Hollywood filmmaking as disappointing considering his independent origins, but each of the larger studio films that he made still felt like very personal statements that were bursting with personality. Four Brothers is a highly entertaining revenge film that explores interesting themes about a found family.

What Is ‘Four Brothers’ About?

Four Brothers is set in Highland Park, Michigan, and opens with the shocking murder of the elderly woman Evelyn Mercer, played by the legendary Irish actress Fionnula Flanagan. Although Mercer’s death was the result of an armed robbery that turned violent, it does inspire rage within her four adopted sons, including the former hockey player Bobby (Mark Wahlberg), the retired Marine Angel (Tyrese Gibson), the family man Jeremiah (Andre Benjamin), and the aspiring musician Jack (Garret Hedlund). Although the brothers’ relationships with one another have become strained over the years, grief gives them focus as they work together to track down the two assailants that were responsible for the shooting. However, the situation grows more complicated, as they are informed by the local police lieutenant Green (Terrence Howard), that the shooting may have been involved with a local crime network. This proves to be more truthful than anyone would have realized, as Green’s assistant, Detective Fowler (Josh Charles), is secretly a mole that is working for the powerful mobster Victor Sweet (Chiwetel Ejiofor).

Four Brothers is a surprisingly nuanced encapsulation of masculinity, as it shows the helplessness that these four characters face when their mother is taken away from them. Each character had prided themselves on their ability to protect their families, so the fact that the woman who went out of her way to adopt them and show them kindness is now gone becomes completely devastating. The nastiness with which they initially spar with one another verbally is simply part of the grieving process, as the characters are too overwhelmed by loss to express how deeply tormented they are. However, Singleton is able to show how striving for justice ends up uniting the characters into a collective unit. Although attaining revenge is an instrumental part of their grieving process, the fact that they are working so closely together is the best way to honor the lessons that Evelyn taught to them.

‘Four Brothers’ Is an Inventive Blend of Genres

Four Brothers isn’t a traditional crime movie, as it is made abundantly clear that the four main characters are not professionals; in fact, they end up stumbling into any real revelations and are inadvertently forced to become heroes after the mob begins to go after them. There’s a lot of humor to be found in the interactions between the characters, as Singleton is comparable to other writer/directors like Quentin Tarantino or Spike Lee in his ability to write snappy, memorable dialogue. Although there is a fair amount of action, each fight scene feels raw and uncoordinated, which helps to sell the realism of the situation.

Singleton always had an eye for challenging his actors and was able to use Four Brothers as a way of giving his stars the opportunity to act outside their comfort zones. Although Wahlberg had proven to be a standout supporting player in films like Three Kings and Boogie Nights, Four Brothers seemed to confirm that he had the ability to carry the dramatic heft of a film on his shoulders. Similarly, Gibson is an actor who has often been cast as the source of comic relief but was given the opportunity to be much more sensitive and charming. Singleton’s death was a major blow to the industry, as it was clear that he had so much potential to continue innovating. While it’s hard not to examine all the missed opportunities that he had, Four Brothers is a unique blend of genres that could perhaps have never been made by anyone else.

Four Brothers is now streaming on Pluto TV in the U.S.

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