From the title, you'd be forgiven for thinking this was a goofy, broad comedy - the kind that John Landis and Eddie Murphy may have collaborated on. But you would be completely wrong.

The Brother From Another Planet is actually a highly thoughtful, humane, and yes, funny, portrait of what it's like to be an outsider in America.

This was the first movie to be directed by John Sayles that I've seen, but from what I understand it's the only one to use any of the stuff he learned in his background writing exploitation movies for Roger Corman. It's too bad, because this movie's fantastic conceit brought down to Earth and shot through with real human characters is pretty damn irresistible.

Director Project

Director: John Sayles (Third film)

Oddball comedy with a serious underlining, the central performance and role of Joe Morton as the alien who lands on earth is quietly (literally) brilliant, and pivotal to everything that makes this film good. The best moments lie with those he meets oddly enough, and how he interacts with them, progressively becoming more competent with expressing himself.

Often they're bizarre, but mostly they're funny, especially during a really weird, but genuinely awesome fight scene involving Sayles himself as one of two men-in-black hunting The Brother. Not much else I have in my mind to say, but I did really enjoy it. It takes no sides, and doesn't preach and prance around, and I liked it because at any time, it can be taken seriously, or not so much - maybe never diving into either pool particularly deep, but still managing an entertaining and thoughtful film.

Fun sci-fi blaxploitation crossover, really into the fact that the protagonist doesn't speak at all, really into the positive portrayal of sex (also this seems remarkably free of misogyny for the most part--which has often seemed omnipresent in a lot of the blaxploitation movies I've seen), but, despite, as Lencho pointed out, the lack of whitesplaining, it's still weird that this movie stars & was written/directed by a white dude??? Should that be a thing? I don't know, it's complicated-- to be fair Larry Cohen directed a couple of brilliant blaxploitation films too?

A truly bizarre low-budget effort from writer-director John Sayles, The Brother From Another Planet nearly topples over from the weight of its social commentary. Thankfully a sharp cast and goofy wit mostly keep the movie light on its feet.

Full review here.

“O Irmão Que Veio De Outro Planeta” (1984), de John Sayles, é a história de um extra-terrestre que vem para a Terra na forma de um negro, e tenta entender o planeta, mesmo não conseguindo falar. Na base de gestos, empatia e experimentações, ele vai se entrosando até a chegada de dois caçadores de outro planeta atrás dele.
Sayles constrói uma narrativa até certo ponto surrealista para transpor o que vivem as minorias, através do reflexo, ou seja, nas falas daqueles que acabam interagindo com o Irmão durante o filme. Mesmo com poucos recursos, o cinema se sobrepõe e entra uma diversão inteligente, mesmo que de certa forma datada pelos costumes e práticas dos anos 80, mas a mensagem central ainda é bastante atual. ⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2

Even silly premise can't change the fact it is well written, and it's all part of the 80s movie charm.

A bit silly, but you have to love Joe.

What an odd little film....the title suggests some kinda goofy blaxploitation sci-fi, as does the basic premise, but Sayles puts his own low-key conversational spin on the idea, with some social commentary thrown in there as well, and the results are pretty unique. It gets a bit muddled towards the end, and it's never amazing, but it's mostly quite enjoyable, funny, and strange, plus Sayles is great at writing dialogue and characters that ring true.

What an odd, unique, funky, hilarious, weird and poignant little movie this was! I was expecting exploitation schlock but this turned out to be a pretty fantastic slice of life story with parts that honestly were like an all black version of Cheers that just had me laughing and then there’s the many dialogues by the many eclectic characters and I really quite enjoyed this one. A gem in this sci fi 50 pack.

Need to revisit this one. Sayles definitely writes a good script.

John Sayles' quirky comedy about an alien refugee retreating to the streets of 19802s Harlem may not be the most coherent, but it has charm. Joe Morton may not have any lines, but manages to communicate a lot through his silence as he tries to find a place for himself in then-modern society.

John Sayles, genuinely underrated.

فكرة لطيفة حملها هذا العمل عن عبد فضائي على شكل أنسان يهرب من عبوديته الى سطح الأرض حيث تشبه محاولته لإيجاد مكان له على الأرض تجربه أنسان مهاجر