Michelle Yeoh Is Cutthroat and Commanding in Netflix’s Enchanting Action Dramedy ‘The Brothers Sun’: TV Review
04.01.2024 - 08:45
/ variety.com
Aramide Tinubu Many people have complex family lives. Private affairs are tucked in the corners of attics, shoved in closets or kept under wraps by elders– shocking the younger generations when these hidden histories are finally revealed. For the Suns, whose family ties stretch from Los Angeles to Taiwan, secrets are only the tip of the iceberg.
Created by Brad Falchuk and Byron Wu, “The Brothers Sun” is a thrilling, brilliant dramedy about familial obligations, buried skeletons and the bonds that can never be broken. The eight-episode series opens in a luxurious penthouse in the glittering city of Taipei. Charles (Justin Chien), the eldest Sun brother, is spending the evening watching “The Great British Baking Show” and perfecting his latest dessert recipe.
However, before the timer on his cake buzzes, he is attacked by assassins. Though he rises from the fighting unscathed, his father, Big Sun (Johnny Kou), the head of a Taiwanese secret gangster triad, the Jade Dragons, doesn’t fare well. With Big Sun in a coma and unnamed enemies still afoot, Charles sets off on a quest to L.A., where his mother, Eileen (Michelle Yeoh) and his younger brother, Bruce (Sam Song Li), have been living a “normal” life for the past 15 years.
While Charles, who looks like a bearded action figure come to life, spends his days wielding weapons, perfecting roundkicks and being his father’s right hand, Bruce has lived a very different existence. A pre-med student who drives Lyft for extra cash and hides his love of improv theater, he barely dares to speak to women, let alone defend himself. Wholly sheltered and oblivious to the family business, Bruce is indoctrinated into the triad world quickly when he walks in on his brother and mother,
.