The Duplass Brothers follow up to Jeff Who Lives at Home is also about brothers, but is infinitely better than that previous film.

The Duplass Brothers really have a way with making something out of nothing, realizing our minuscule dramas onscreen as the be-all-end-all occasions they seem when we live them. They went on to explore strained brotherly relations deeper and more effectively in Jeff, Who Lives at Home, but The Do-Deca-Pentathlon remains worthwhile viewing.

The Duplass brothers latest exploration into man-child sibling rivalry ultimately misses the mark. Despite some charming moments, the main characters are just too annoying to root for. Plus the female lead comes off as a major nag despite the fact that her husband is acting like an ass for most of the film.

Probably the Duplass Bros' lowest yield return on their meager investment. This is the micro-budget comedy drama they made after Baghead but only got around to editing following the surprise success of Cyrus and Jeff Who Lives At Home. Even when it's not really working, I still get a real kick out of this kind of low budget indie effort. There's too much set-up, even given the film's slender running time, and the comedy never really delivers as it should. With it's themes of male rivalry and awkwardness around intimacy, Do-Deca is reminiscent of Lynne Shelton's Humpday but less successful, daring and engaging than that film. Still, individual moments shine. I don't know if one character's reaction to a messy brawl was scripted or improvised but it's exactly this kind of incisive observation of human behaviour which keeps me returning to the well.

A mumblecore masterpiece for the ages.

Fun and breezy small film about adult brothers reuniting their childhood rivalry via a competition of 25 sporting and gaming events. At 76 minutes, it's wholly watchable and the performances all ring true (with the slight exception of Steve Zissis' son). Though I don't have a brother, made me want to organize a similar competition with a friend, though perhaps not replete with the cutthroat aspects.

I generally like the Duplass brothers low-key dramas based around a wild and comedic premise, but right from the beginning The Do-Deca-Pentathlon is always a step off. Even the snappy improv inspired dialog that is the Duplass brothers calling card isn't quite there in the same present and genuine manner we have come to expect. There are some nice moments that put a smile on your face and it builds to a conclusion that feels quite honest to how the brothers relationship would play out. But the family dynamic isn't as rich and developed as some of their other films and with a much thinner premise The Do-Deca-Pentathlon doesn't quite deliver.

Sure it's a thin premise, but The Duplass brothers bring enough heart to keep it going for it's tight run time.

Really boring. If I wanted to see this, I would look at real people while wearing shaky contact lenses that didn't have the right prescription.

It tries too hard to be creative, and I expected much better.

Not my favorite thing ever.

The Duplass brothers latest exploration into man-child sibling rivalry ultimately misses the mark. Despite some charming moments, the main characters are just too annoying to root for. Plus the female lead comes off as a major nag despite the fact that her husband is acting like an ass for most of the film.