Four Brothers (2005)
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Four adopted brothers must navigate a web of crime and corruption to avenge the murder of their mother.
The story
After the murder of their adoptive mother, Evelyn Mercer, at a convenience store in Michigan, four adopted brothers—each with vastly different lifestyles and temperaments—return home to Detroit. The brothers, ranging from a hot-tempered criminal to a dedicated family man, begin an investigation into the crime. What initially appears to be a simple robbery gone wrong is soon revealed to be a targeted hit. As they dig deeper, the brothers must navigate the dangerous underworld of local crime and the complexities of their own pasts to uncover the truth behind the conspiracy that claimed their mother's life.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Following the murder of their mother, Evelyn Mercer, four brothers—Bobby, Jeremiah, Angel, and Jack—investigate the crime in Detroit. They discover the murder was a hit ordered by a local gangster, Victor Sweet. After the brothers confront and eliminate the hired guns, they are warned by a friend, Lieutenant Green, about the dangers of interfering with the case. However, the situation escalates when it is revealed that Jeremiah's business was failing due to his ties to Sweet. During a confrontation with Sweet's men, Jack is killed. The brothers then learn that a corrupt cop, Detective Fowler, is involved. The brothers eventually confront Fowler, and in the ensuing chaos, he is killed. Simultaneously, Jeremiah meets with Sweet at Lake St. Clair, where he reveals he has paid off Sweet's henchmen. A brawl ensues between Bobby and Sweet; Bobby defeats Sweet, and the henchmen drop him into the ice. The remaining brothers are briefly detained by corrupt officers before being released, and they ultimately return home to care for their mother's house.
- First release year
- 2005
- Runtime (minutes)
- 109
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- John Singleton
- Writers
- David Elliot · writer; Paul Lovett · writer
- Cast and characters
- Mark Wahlberg · Bobby Mercer; Tyrese Gibson · Angel Mercer; André Benjamin · Jeremiah "Jerry" Mercer; Garrett Hedlund · Jack Mercer; Terrence Howard · Lieutenant Green; Josh Charles · Detective Fowler; Chiwetel Ejiofor · Victor Sweet; Sofía Vergara · Sofi
- Genres
- action; crime; mystery
- Themes
- brotherhood; revenge; family
- Tone and mood
- action; violent
- Premise and plot tags
- vigilante; crime drama
- Reception
- The film received mixed reviews from critics, with some praising the chemistry between the lead actors while criticizing the excessive violence and fragmented themes.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 53% · scale: percentage · review count: 132; Metacritic · score: 49 · scale: 100 · review count: 31
- Production trivia
- The film was an inspiration for the Malayalam movie Big B.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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