A documentary about the ill-fated reunion of the pop band Bros has become a sleeper hit over the Christmas holidays.
Described by one critic as a “real life Spinal Tap“, After the Screaming Stops follows twin brothers Matt and Luke Goss during their reunion in 2017, after almost 25 years of barely speaking to one another. It was shown on BBC Four on 23 December after being screened at the London Film Festival in October, but has since gone viral after viewers discovered it on BBC iPlayer.
Critic Adam Sherwin called it “the best music film since This is Spinal Tap“ and noted how the brothers “scratch away at each other’s fragile egos and insecurities, apparently oblivious to the camera crew documenting each perceived slight and hissy fit”.
Peter Guy said: “It’s the lack of self-awareness and endless reams of quotes from the brothers which has resulted in a real-life Spinal tap which is as hilarious as it is wince-inducing.”
Here are some of the best one-liners from the documentary:
“The best toy we had growing up was a dart. No dart board, just a dart.” Matt Goss
“One of my songs is called ‘We’re All Kings’. Which is about a man sweeping the road – he’s one of my kings because I’m thankful I don’t have to sweep the road.” Matt Goss
“The letters H.O.M.E. are so important because they personify the word home.” Matt Goss
“I’m a Londoner. Embankment. Big Ben. Cab drivers.” Luke Goss
“I made a conscious decision because of Stevie Wonder not to be superstitious.” Matt Goss
“Epitome, which I believe is Latin for abstract.” Matt Goss
“I think hindsight is the philosophy of fools.You learn nothing in some way because sometimes you have to do the same again.” Matt Goss
“I was a rectangle and he was a rectangle and we made a square that became a fortress.” Matt Goss
For a fleeting moment, Bros were the biggest band in Britain. Between 1987-89, they achieved eight UK top 10 singles, sold out London’s Wembley Stadium, and enjoyed a huge fanbase, dubbed “Brosettes”. Their debut album Push topped the charts in 19 countries, and sold more than seven million copies.
After the Screaming Stops director Joe Pearlman told BBC Radio 5 Live: “The reaction’s [to the documentary] been unbelievable, it’s playing exactly like we thought it would. We sat down with Matt and Luke in Los Angeles to discuss the prospect of making a film and the first conversations we had, you knew that not only were they ready to talk and ready to put some of their differences aside, but also that they were just perfect characters to make a film about.”
