My Brother The Devil (2013)
82%RT Audience Score: 70%
Awards & Nominations: 10 wins & 16 nominations
In her debut film, Sally El Hosaini brings a fresh and nuanced perspective to the classic tale of sibling rivalry, deftly weaving together themes of faith, politics, and sexual identity. My Brother the Devil is a richly observed and thought-provoking film that manages to stand out in a genre that is often overwrought and formulaic. With impressive performances and a strong voice, El Hosaini marks herself as a filmmaker to watch, and one who is sure to make a lasting impact on the industry.
My Brother the Devil is a movie that will make you laugh, cry, and gasp all at the same time. It’s a refreshing take on the classic good son-bad son tale, with nuances of faith, politics, and sexual identity that enrich the story. The director, Sally El Hosaini, is definitely someone to watch out for in the future. The movie manages to set itself apart from similarly themed efforts and brings a fresh and mature perspective to a story of shifting relationships between siblings. Overall, it’s a richly observed film that will leave you wanting more.
Production Company(ies)
El Deseo Renn Productions, France 2 Cinéma
Distributor
Paladin
Release Type
Theatrical
Filming Location(s)
Hackney, London, England, UK
MPAA / Certificate
Not Rated
Year of Release
2012
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:Dolby Digital
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Aspect ratio:2.35 : 1
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Runtime:1h 51m
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Language(s):English
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Country of origin:United States
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Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Mar 22, 2013 Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Sep 24, 2013
Genre(s)
Drama
Keyword(s)
starring James Floyd, Said Taghmaoui, Fady Elsayed, Nasser Memarzia, Ashley Thomas, Letitia Wright, directed by Sally El Hosaini, written by Sally El Hosaini, Aymen Hamdouchi, drama, box office performance, budget, reviewed by Rick Groen, Linda Barnard, Michael O’Sullivan, Mark Olsen, Farran Smith Nehme, Jeannette Catsoulis, Jason Best, David Harris, Nicholas Bell, Kelly Jane Torrance, Alexa Dalby, MPAA rating, Gayle Griffiths, Julia Godzinskaya, Michael Sackler, producer
Worldwide gross: $132,056
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $170,250
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,958
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 18,566
US/Canada gross: $44,906
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $57,894
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,738
US/Canada opening weekend: $10,305
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $13,285
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,638
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): NA
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): NA
Production budget ranking: NA
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
ROI to date (est.): NA
ROI ranking: NA
Said Taghmaoui – Sayyid
Fady Elsayed – Mo
Nasser Memarzia – Abdul-Aziz
Ashley Thomas – Lenny
Letitia Wright – Aisha
Director – Sally El Hosaini
Producers – Gayle Griffiths, Julia Godzinskaya, Michael Sackler
Writers – Sally El Hosaini, Aymen Hamdouchi
Director(s)
Sally El Hosaini
Writer(s)
Sally El Hosaini, Aymen Hamdouchi
Producer(s)
Gayle Griffiths, Julia Godzinskaya, Michael Sackler
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
10 wins & 16 nominations
Academy Awards
All Critics (52) | Top Critics (18) | Fresh (47) | Rotten (5)
It’s an impressive debut by a director blessed with a strong voice and a knack for bringing a specific cultural milieu to vibrant life, defying convention even while working within its strict limits.
June 28, 2013
Rick Groen
Globe and Mail
TOP CRITIC
My Brother the Devil brings a fresh and mature perspective to a story of shifting relationships between siblings, clearly marking the Egyptian-Welsh writer-director as someone on a path to greater things.
June 27, 2013 | Rating: 3/4
Linda Barnard
Toronto Star
TOP CRITIC
A story of brothers that’s both tough and tender.
May 10, 2013 | Rating: 2.5/4
Michael O’Sullivan
Washington Post
TOP CRITIC
“My Brother the Devil” is a promising debut that marks El Hosaini as a filmmaker to watch, but one still very much in the developmental stages.
April 5, 2013 | Rating: 2.5/5
Mark Olsen
Los Angeles Times
TOP CRITIC
For at least part of its length, “My Brother the Devil” brings refreshing changes to a genre badly in need of them.
March 22, 2013 | Rating: 2.5/4
Farran Smith Nehme
New York Post
TOP CRITIC
Nuances of faith, politics and sexual identity enrich what initially presents as a classic good son-bad son tale, and although the film’s melting-pot patois is occasionally too dense to decipher, we get the gist.
March 21, 2013 | Rating: 5/5
Jeannette Catsoulis
New York Times
TOP CRITIC
The prospect of yet another Hackney-hoodie crime drama hardly quickens the blood, yet writer-director Sally El Hosaini’s contribution to the genre is more thoughtful and original than most.
December 16, 2020 | Rating: 4/5
Jason Best
Movie Talk
Merely good.
November 19, 2019 | Rating: 3/5
David Harris
Spectrum Culture
My Brother the Devil is a richly observed film depicting the overly tried and true travails of life on the streets. Best of all, it manages to set itself apart from similarly themed efforts.
August 9, 2019
Nicholas Bell
IONCINEMA.com
It’s a pleasant surprise because Egyptian-Welsh writer-director Sally El Hosaini, in her feature film debut, avoids telling an easy but often overwrought sort of story about immigrants struggling to leave their history behind them.
December 19, 2018 | Rating: 3/4
Kelly Jane Torrance
Washington Examiner
An incredibly mature first film.
August 27, 2018 | Rating: 4/5
Alexa Dalby
Dog and Wolf
The moments of high drama are compelling and emotive, and the moments of raw brutality will cause audible gasps.
August 23, 2018 | Rating: 4/5
Joseph Walsh
CineVue…
Plot
Two teenage brothers navigate their Arab identity on the streets of London, facing their own prejudices and the challenges of their environment in My Brother the Devil.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
The film features a standout performance by James Floyd.
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