Apple TV found an unusual premise for its latest comedy: What if Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson really were brothers? That is the question at the heart of Brothers, the new Apple TV comedy starring the longtime friends as fictionalized versions of themselves.
And while critics are divided about the show itself, plenty of reviewers and I agree that watching McConaughey and Harrelson goof around together is a lot of fun.
Here are three reasons you should watch Brothers on Apple TV.
Brothers review: Why you should watch new Apple TV comedy
Ever since Ted Lasso put Apple TV on the map, the streaming service has repeatedly struck comedy gold. From Hollywood sendup The Studio to weird folk horror/comedy Widow’s Bay, Apple TV has won awards and lured in viewers with its offbeat comedic offerings.
Now you should add Brothers to the list of funny business. Here’s why.
1. The premise is genuinely funny
Photo: Apple TV
What makes Brothers worth watching? The story starts with Woody’s daughter calling off her wedding. Woody responds by packing up his family and heading to Matthew’s Texas ranch for an extended stay.
Then things get weird.
Matthew’s mother, Ma Mac (played by Holland Taylor), lets slip a decades-old secret: Matthew and Woody might actually be brothers. The revelation sends Woody on a quest to find out whether there is any truth to the bizarre family rumor while Matthew deals with his own problems, including running for governor of Texas.
It’s a particularly strange premise because it is inspired by a real-life event. During a vacation in Greece several years ago, Matthew’s mother mentioned to Woody that she “knew” his father during a period when she was separated from Matthew’s dad. The subtle, loaded emphasis on the word “knew” prompted both actors to look into their family timelines.
They realized that Woody’s father was on wild-card bail or probation around the exact time Matthew’s parents were going through their divorce, placing both parents in West Texas at the exact same time.
Brothers turns that exact real-life gray area into a scripted comedy. Apple describes the series as a story about “friendship, family, fame and the messy line between myth and reality.” But to be clear: The show is a fictionalized, exaggerated version of that story, not a documentary.
2. McConaughey and Harrelson are fun to watch
Photo: Apple TV
There’s no doubt, the biggest reason to watch Brothers is simply the two men in the starring roles. They are clearly having a blast making the show, and that comes across on screen. They have amazing chemistry.
That shouldn’t come as a huge surprise. McConaughey and Harrelson have been friends for decades and previously worked together on the first season of True Detective. Brothers essentially builds an entire comedy around giving the pair permission to exaggerate their public personas.
McConaughey gets to play the folksy, philosophical version of himself audiences know from his commercials and interviews, while Harrelson gets to lean into his laid-back, free-spirited image.
The result is a deliberately silly sitcom that doesn’t require much thought. If you like McConaughey and Harrelson, you’ll love this show.
I’m not someone who wants a dark, gritty drama at the end of a long workday. A silly sitcom about a couple of likable guys is far more relaxing.
3. It’s an easygoing comedy with wonderful supporting players
Photo: Apple TV
But you don’t have to take my word for it. The Guardian‘s Lucy Mangan calls it a “super-fun sitcom” and says it offers “a tasty little comedy dynamic.”
Forbes‘s reviewer Erik Kain’s headline calls it a “Charming Apple TV Comedy” and later says it’s “Light fare, easy to digest. Something fun and charming and harmless to kick back with.”
The supporting cast includes Holland Taylor (also in Apple’s The Morning show) as Ma Mac, Natalie Martinez as Matthew’s wife and Brittany Ishibashi as Woody’s wife. Lisa Gilroy also gets laughs as Matthew’s brutally blunt campaign manager, while Skyler Gisondo makes an appearance later in the season.
Not everyone loves Brothers
While there’s a lot to like in the new Apple TV series, Brothers also received plenty of criticism from professional reviewers.
Variety‘s review argues that the chemistry between the stars isn’t enough to make the show compelling, calling it an overlong comedy sketch.
The RogerEbert.com reviewer is even harsher, complaining that the series repeatedly puts its talented cast into conventional sitcom situations. While the review praises the chemistry between McConaughey and Harrelson, it says the show doesn’t always give them material worthy of it.
One recurring complaint is that the central mystery — are these two famous friends actually brothers? — isn’t substantial enough to carry an entire season.
So Brothers isn’t exactly a critical slam dunk. But there is a fairly consistent thread running through the reviews: Even critics who don’t think the show completely works acknowledge that McConaughey and Harrelson are enjoyable to watch together. I agree.
How to watch Brothers on Apple TV
Brothers is streaming now on Apple TV. The first three episodes are already available, with new ones arriving each Wednesday.
Access the series with an Apple TV subscription on supported Apple devices, smart TVs, streaming devices and the web.
Ed Hardy has been writing full-time about tech for 26 years, and using it for much longer than that. His intro to Apple was a Macintosh SE/30 (which he still has), but now he uses a 13-inch iPad Pro as his primary computer.
That’s because he’s a “tablet first” type of guy. Rather than use a Macbook, he connects a keyboard case to the iPad. And instead of a desktop Mac, he connects his tablet to a 27-inch display and full-size keyboard. (So don’t try to tell him that everyone has to use a Mac to be productive.)
Before coming to Cult of Mac, Ed wrote for NotebookReview, TabletPCReview and Brighthand, as well as other sites.
