Big Picture Big Sound

London Film Festival: After the Screaming Stops Review

By Neil Danner

Can time heal all wounds?

"After the Screaming Stops" follows twin brothers Matt and Luke Goss, former members of the 80s boy band Bros, as they prepare for an O2 Arena show in 2017, 25 years after the original band's breakup.

For those who are too young, or just unfamiliar, Bros was a British band started in 1986. At their height, the band went four times platinum, sold out Wembley Stadium 19 nights in a row, and had their popularity compared to that of the Beatles. But it all came to an end in 1992, when Luke left the group as a result of feeling marginalized by management and not backed up by his brother.

While at no point were the brothers estranged, it is clear from early in the documentary that their communication is intermittent and that they are not involved in each other's lives anymore. After the dissolution of the band, Luke moved to Los Angeles and pursued a career in acting, where he has 56 credits to his name, including "Blade II" and "Hellboy II." Matt eventually moved to Las Vegas, continuing a solo career in music and engaging in various residencies on the Strip. It seems telling that despite their perceived differences, the brothers ended up moving out of their home country to cities only a 270 mile drive apart.

Bros_1.jpg

Even if their music is not your taste (it isn't really mine, but I did find myself purchasing their single "When Will I Be Famous" last night), the two brothers bring enough of their own drama and history to the film that it remains engaging. Both brothers show an amazing ability to careen wildly from vapid celebrity to very self aware and introspective thinkers. Despite both admitting to being nervous and excited about the upcoming show, they each seem determined to establish themselves as the alpha from moment one, or sabotage the project in the effort.

We can sometimes save our worst reactions and lowest levels of patience for our family, but these two seem to have crafted this into an art. The film demonstrates that the smallest comments between the two lead to full blowups, and you can feel that this is really the carrying forward of years of distrust and resentment. For Luke it's because he has felt overshadowed and taken for granted by Matt. For Matt, it's because when Luke quit the band, that was it; he never reached those same heights of success and fame again.

Instead of being a documentary about putting on a concert, "After the Screaming Stops" becomes much more about whether two brothers have to the ability to connect again and recreate the strong ties that had made them a force to begin with. Fame and money can buy you a glamorous lifestyle, but, especially if it comes early and fast, it can take just as much away from a person. Directors Joe Pearlman and David Soutar do a fantastic job of taking a documentary about making a concer and turning it into a human story about trying to reconnect with parts of yourself that were lost during the trying times of life.

What did you think?

Movie title After the Screaming Stops
Release year 2018
MPAA Rating
Our rating
Summary Heavy with nostalgia, this music documentary provides a behind-the-scenes look at the impact of sharing the dizzying heights of worldwide fame with your twin.
View all articles by Neil Danner
More in Movies
Big News
Newsletter Sign-up
 
Connect with Us