SXSW Film Preview: The Overbrook Brothers

In our humble movie going experience, we’ve come to recognize the hallmarks of an engaging story. Sibling rivalry, the search for one’s true parents, coming home for Christmas and, of course, road trips all signal that the audience could be in for quite a ride. SXSW Narrative Feature The Overbrook Brothers manages to interweave all of these elements, which, by our calculations, should result in a very satisfying journey indeed.

Humor holds the shenanigans together as two ultra-competitive brothers, Todd and Jason, attempt to track down their birth parents. Hand held camerawork and improvised dialog aim to give the film a natural feel, allowing for the frustrations, immaturity and misguided masculinity of two overgrown boys to hit an honest note.

The director, Austin native John Bryant, produced the Duplass brothers’ Baghead and has directed several acclaimed short films, including Oh My God and Momma’s Boy. The Overbrook Brothers also features Austin actors (leads Nathan Harlan and Mark Reeb are both University of Texas grads), and parts of the movie were filmed here, too. So there you have it. If you’re rooting for the home team (and hope to infuse your SXSW schedule with some caustic comedy), don’t miss one of this film’s three screenings.

The Overbrook Brothers will have its World Premiere Sunday, March 15 at the Alamo Ritz. For more information, check out the SXSW Film Festival schedule.