Brothers of the Head
IFC Films | Release Date: July 28, 2006 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
67
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 25 Critic Reviews
Positive:
19
Mixed:
4
Negative:
2
Watch Now
Buy on

Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
100
SalonAndrew O'Hehir
It's terrific! Shot by the brilliant cinematographer Anthony Dod Mantle ("Dogville," "28 Days Later," etc.) and anchored by amazing performances from identical (but not conjoined) twins Harry and Luke Treadaway, Brothers of the Head is not a freak show, or a knockoff "Rocky Horror" camp celebration. It's a work of powerful atmosphere and significant mystery. Plus, it rocks. Read full review
100
Seattle Post-IntelligencerGianni Truzzi
It's pretty weird stuff, and filmmakers Keith Fulton and Luis Pepe embrace it with a layer of cinematic gauze that builds a pounding energy to this hypnotic twisting of rock legend. Read full review
90
The Hollywood ReporterSheri Linden
A work of terrific imagination, visceral punch and gothic beauty. Read full review
89
Austin ChronicleMarc Savlov
It ends up seeming more real and more artistically, morally, and spiritually honest than any dozen bedrock documentary films you'd care to name. Read full review
80
Film ThreatKJ Doughton
Like a good rock record, Brothers of the Head isn't easily explained. But its original fusion of real and surreal will cling to your cranium for years. Read full review
80
L.A. WeeklyChuck Wilson
Yes, this is another faux rock documentary, but one so dramatically and visually textured that it reinvents that decidedly worn genre. Read full review
75
New York Daily NewsJack Mathews
This is a very tender portrayal of young people caught up in a blisteringly fast and cynical world, and though their music is hideous, they are a compelling act. Read full review
75
TV Guide MagazineKen Fox
Despite some excitingly shot concert footage, one scene begins to feel very much like the next, and it's all rather predictable. Read full review
75
San Francisco ChronicleRuthe Stein
So cleverly constructed that it's easy to be taken in and believe these twins really rocked. Read full review
75
Boston GlobeTy Burr
The film is something to see, and when it addresses the mysterious bond connecting creative people, it has an urgent, ugly splendor. Read full review
75
Portland OregonianShawn Levy
There are real thrills here, especially as the Bang Bang starts touring and becomes a minor sensation. But it's a little too hermetic and goopy and humorless and cool to invite you to wrap your arms around it. The Howes shared a single liver, but what this film version of their lives needs is more heart. Read full review
70
NewsweekDavid Ansen
Bizarre, edgy and haunting tale. Read full review
70
Village VoiceDennis Lim
The golden-hued footage is lovingly faked by ace cinematographer Anthony Dod Mantle, and the straight-faced result is as improbably touching as the Farrelly brothers' underrated "Stuck on You." Read full review
70
The New York TimesStephen Holden
A fake documentary that barely lets on that its fiction, this devilishly clever film tells the story of conjoined twins who create a minor sensation in Britain on the eve of punk rock. Read full review
70
Los Angeles TimesCarina Chocano
Thought-provoking as it is, Brothers of the Head keeps its distance, choosing to tell a story about telling stories. But the story itself remains an unexploited gold mine. Read full review
70
VarietyDerek Elley
Feature debut by Yank duo Keith Fulton and Louis Pepe isn't so far from their engrossing docus on Terry Gilliam's filmic adventures, "The Hamster Factor" (1996) and "Lost in La Mancha" (2001), except here the madness and exploitation is part of the music scene. Read full review
67
The A.V. ClubScott Tobias
Brothers isn't nearly as haunting and singular as "Last Days," because the faux-documentary format too closely mirrors the Behind The Music trajectory of a thousand other rock-band flameouts. Read full review
63
Philadelphia InquirerCarrie Rickey
Unnerving. Read full review
63
The Globe and Mail (Toronto)Kate Taylor
What is missing from Brothers of the Head is an equally sturdy connection between form and content. Read full review
50
Chicago TribuneMichael Phillips
Facetious form dictates hollow content in Brothers of the Head. Read full review
50
Chicago ReaderJonathan Rosenbaum
Directors Keith Fulton and Louis Pepe (Lost in La Mancha) are too preoccupied with hip cleverness to have much else on their minds, and the music is so-so. Read full review
40
Washington PostDesson Thomson
Ultimately, Brothers is a flashy, stylistic show of emptiness, intended to protest emptiness. But that's clear almost from the outset. Read full review
40
EmpirePatrick Peters
Despite the odd moment of visual bravura, this mockumentary is too aware of its own satirical daring. Consequently, it's never as dark, dangerous or amusing as it thinks - and the soundtrack is diabolical. Read full review
38
New York PostKyle Smith
"This Is Spinal Tap" took the mockumentary up to 11. Brothers of the Head brings it back down to about four. Read full review
25
Entertainment WeeklyOwen Gleiberman
A glumly serious British mock rock doc: You could forgive the paucity of jokes if Brothers of the Head had anything to say, or if the '70s-vérité surface were remotely convincing. Read full review
More From This Movie

67 Critic Reviews

7.5 User Reviews

Details & Credits|Trailers

Current Movie Releases
By MetascoreBy User Score
1 77 Project Hail Mary
2 75 Send Help
3 73 Hoppers
4 72 The Sheep Detectives
5 68 Crime 101
SEE ALL
Essential Links
New on Amazon Prime Video
New on Netflix
Coming Soon to DVD/Blu-ray
SEE ALL