The mockumentary style may be a little inconsistent, and the film itself may be very quirky... But it is never annoyingly whimsical, thanks in part to the sincerity and innocence of its characters.

| Original Score: 3.5/5 | Jul 25, 2024

There are worse ways to spend an afternoon than with Brian and Charles. In the rare moments when everything comes together, the potential of the film is obvious. Unfortunately, that charm cannot sustain a feature-length film.

| Jul 25, 2023

Jim Archer takes David Earl and Chris Hayward's original screenplay and uses their extraordinary, humorous performances to bring to life a narrative about true friendship and authentic human connections.

| Original Score: A- | Jul 23, 2023

The film at its best when these two lovable outsiders sit on a stone wall in the middle of nowhere, the overwhelming vastness of nature a lovely reminder that life’s natural rhythms move even the most artificial of creations.

| Apr 25, 2023

There’s an attention to detail that rewards those scanning the full frame, while both Earl and Hayward conjure up memorable characters that you wouldn’t mind seeing tackle another adventure, should they get the opportunity.

| Original Score: 4/5 | Mar 24, 2023

The success of this film whose heart is as unexpected as it is restorative resides in the creator's affection for these characters. [Full review in Spanish]

| Original Score: 3.5/5 | Jan 14, 2023

A modest-scale antidote to the bombast and bloat of summer entertainment spectacles, Brian and Charles brings more down-to-earth delights to the summer moviegoing season.

| Dec 16, 2022

Special props to Hayward for bringing such emotional range to a character that consists of a monotone robot voice and a surprisingly expressive plastic face, with some top-notch physical comedy thrown in for good measure.

| Sep 14, 2022

... Its mixture of sweetness and silliness is wonderful.

| Original Score: 4/5 | Aug 24, 2022

Its story about a lonely inventor who builds a seven-foot-tall cabbage-loving robot is every bit as wacky as it sounds. It’s also endlessly charming and as big-hearted as anything else you’ll see this year.

| Original Score: 4.5/5 | Aug 16, 2022

Hayward’s stunted, robotic tone makes the jokes hit harder, while well-placed sight-gags catch you off guard with a giggle.

| Original Score: 4/5 | Aug 16, 2022

Offbeat comedies often have difficulty with tone, but Brian and Charles manages to make both the moments of comedy and menace work. Rather than being a portent of mankind’s doom, this robot provides a hilarious lesson in how to be human.

| Original Score: 4/5 | Jul 15, 2022

Director Jim Archer’s mockumentary format dovetails neatly with Brian’s DIY aspirations and the film’s handmade, heartfelt aesthetic.

| Original Score: 4/5 | Jul 15, 2022

Made with genuine affection and innately British whimsy, this is really just an odd-couple comedy about two lonely blokes — one of whom has a “washing machine for a tummy”.

| Original Score: 4/5 | Jul 14, 2022

Quirky, silly, utterly ridiculous but possessing real heart, Brian and Charles is proof that sometimes junk really can be turned into pure gold.

| Original Score: 5/5 | Jul 12, 2022

While some of the other newly introduced characters leave a bit to be desired, it's a joy to watch Brian and Charles interact whenever they're on screen and one can only hope that this film isn't the last we'll see of the unlikely double act.

| Original Score: 4/5 | Jul 12, 2022

... An odd-couple routine that’s less bromance and more teen angst.

| Original Score: 4/5 | Jul 11, 2022

Jim Archer’s debut feature is an odd-couple comedy with the emphasis firmly on odd, which takes a dark turn... Regrettably there is a distinct sag in the middle, when it starts to feel like an undergraduate sketch stretched beyond its natural life.

| Original Score: 3/5 | Jul 11, 2022

The result has homemade charm to spare, proving delightfully ridiculous but also poignant.

| Original Score: 4/5 | Jul 10, 2022

Think of it as The Office with the Monty Python cast of characters inhabiting the cubicles. It’s a super silly Young Frankenstein.

| Jul 9, 2022