The Brothers Sun: Charles in charge

The Brothers Sun is one of those Netflix offerings that you tend to notice, but make a mental note to check out later.

Trouble is later has a way of dragging on.

Be decisive.

Brothers Sun is definitely worth checking out and eminently binge-worthy..

It’s an eight part series (at this stage anyway) and a Chinese-American production created by Brad Falchuk and Byron Wu for Netflix.

Falchuk is an American television writer, director, and producer best known for co-creating with Ryan Murphy the television series Glee, American Horror Story, Scream Queens, and Pose — all of them highly rated.

He was also a writer and executive producer for Nip/Tuck and also happens to be married to actress Gwyneth Paltrow.

Wu’s only claim to fame is The Getaway (2018).

Described as a drama/action/black comedy, Brothers Sun tells the story of brothers Charles and Bruce Sun, whose father heads up a Chinese Triad or crime family known as the Jade Dragon in Taiwan.

Charles is a ruthless killer and his father’s right-hand man, while the bumbling Bruce lives with his mother Eileen in California and is studying to be a doctor, unaware of his dark and violent family beginnings.

All hell breaks loose when their father, Big Sun, is shot by a sniper and winds up fighting for his life in hospital.

Believing the attack is the work of rivals Sleepy Chan, who want to wipe out his family, Charles hops on a flight to California to protect his mother and younger brother who he hasn’t seen since he was a small child.

Trouble follows him to California and an assassin, known as the Giant, tries to kill him soon after he arrives at his mother’s home.

From here the action comes thick and fast, in a fast-paced mix of comedy, kung-fu and gun play reminiscent of Jackie Chan with a body count that’s right up there with John Wick.

Brothers Sun stars Justin Chien as Charles Sun, Sam Song Li as Bruce, Michelle Yeoh as “Mama” Eileen Sun and Johnny Kou as Big Sun.

Strong support is provided by Joon Lee as Bruce’s drug dealer mate TK, Alice Hewkin as the deadly June, Highdee Kuan as deputy district attorney Alexis (and Charles’ former girlfriend) and Madison Hu as Bruce’s love interest Grace.

Also keep an eye out for Jenny Yang and Jon Xue Zhang as the fearsome duo Xing and Blood boots.

The only one you’re likely to recognises is Michelle Yeoh, who played a starring role in the 2022 Everything Everywhere All at Once.

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But the rest of the predominantly Chinese cast does a terrific job.

The fight scenes are first rate, balanced by the contextual comedy.

You can catch The Brothers Sun on Netflix.

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