| Little Brother | |
|---|---|
 Release poster | |
| Directed by | Matt Spicer |
| Written by |
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| Produced by |
|
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Brandon Trost |
| Edited by | Sara Shaw |
| Music by | Dan Deacon |
Production company | Middle Child Pictures |
| Distributed by | Netflix |
Release dates |
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Running time | 100 minutes[1] |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Little Brother is a 2026 American comedy film starring John Cena, Eric André, Michelle Monaghan, and Christopher Meloni. Directed by Matt Spicer from a script by Jarrad Paul and Andrew Mogel, it was released on Netflix on June 26, 2026.
The film received mixed reviews from critics.
Plot
Rudd Landy seems to have it all — a thriving real estate career, a gorgeous wife Deirdre, two decent kids, and a shot at fame on the reality show NYC Hustlers. But underneath the gym-sculpted physique and self-help routine, Rudd is desperate for validation from his older brother Josh, a billionaire who effortlessly outclasses him at every family gathering. Josh won't even let Rudd sell his mansion, and whatever Rudd accomplishes, Josh one-ups without breaking a sweat.
Marcus Pinchel escapes from a psychiatric hospital where his roommate believes he's married to a rock with googly eyes on it. Years ago, Rudd mentored Marcus through a Big Brothers-style program — only because it helped his college applications. Rudd hasn't thought about Marcus since. But Marcus, who went through sixteen foster homes and lost his own brother Manny, has treasured their connection for decades.
He believes they've been exchanging heartfelt emails all these years. The truth: Rudd's assistant Mia has been secretly writing back, unable to break it to Marcus that Rudd never responded. Marcus hitchhikes to New York, gets hit by a garbage truck, and ends up in the hospital listing Rudd as his emergency contact.
Deirdre insists Marcus stay with them while he recovers. Marcus proceeds to upend Rudd's carefully controlled life — peeing in public in a wildly inappropriate way, bonding with Deirdre more naturally than Rudd ever does, and accidentally becoming the breakout star when he visits the NYC Hustlers set. Rudd tries bribery, manipulation, and avoidance to push him out, but nothing sticks.
Everything explodes at a party at Josh's mansion. Rudd, high and paranoid, discovers Marcus and Josh hitting it off. Panicked that Josh will somehow steal the attention yet again, Rudd rushes to intervene, trips, and sends Josh falling off a balcony. Marcus saves Josh's life by performing an emergency tracheotomy on the spot.
Instead of thanking Marcus, Rudd grabs a microphone and humiliates him in front of everyone. He reveals Marcus' psychiatric history, calls him a liar and a con artist, and lets slip that Mia — not Rudd — wrote every single one of those emails. Marcus is completely broken. When Rudd flatly tells him they were never actually brothers, Marcus walks away alone.
Rudd's family turns against him — his sons are disgusted, Deirdre won't look at him. For the first time, he reads the emails Marcus sent over the years and finally understands what that mentorship meant to a kid who had nobody. At a televised "Big Brother of the Year" ceremony where producers plan to digitally paste Marcus' face onto a body double, Rudd ditches the script. He confesses everything on live television: his jealousy of Josh, his neglect of Marcus, his realization that he spent his whole life chasing approval from someone who didn't need him while ignoring someone who truly did.
Marcus, believing he has no one left, voluntarily checks back into the psych ward — not because he's unstable, but because the hospital is the only place that's ever felt safe. Rudd finds him there, climbs up to his room, and gives a genuine apology. He tells Marcus that he is family and always will be. Marcus doesn't forgive him immediately, but he sees the change and hugs him.
The final scenes show Rudd and Marcus launching a real estate partnership called "Broker Brothers." Mia and Marcus begin a real relationship. Rudd makes peace with his family and lets go of his need for Josh's approval. Marcus finally has a home and a brother who shows up for him. The NYC Hustlers producers, of course, hire actors to dramatize the whole mess for ratings.
Cast
- John Cena as Rudd Landy
- Eric André as Marcus Pinchel
- Michelle Monaghan as Deirdre Landy
- Christopher Meloni as Josh Landy
- Sherry Cola as Mia
- Ego Nwodim as Leonore
- Caleb Hearon as Olly
- Bryce Gheisar as Cory Landy
- Pilot Bunch as Shane Landy
- Ben Ahlers as Kieran Francis
- Brandon Trost as a cameraman
- Christina Catechis as Nurse Sonj
- Paris Hilton as herself
- Eleonora Srugo as herself
- Trey Murphy as himself
- Evan Ross Katz as himself
- Andy Cohen as the NYC Hustlers announcer
Production
The Netflix film was directed by Matt Spicer from a script by Jarrad Paul and Andrew Mogel, with David Bernad of Middle Child Pictures and Ruben Fleischer producing.[2][3]
Eric Andre and John Cena joined the cast in December 2024.[4] Michelle Monaghan joined the cast in July 2025, as did Christopher Meloni, Ben Ahlers, Sherry Cola, Caleb Hearon and Ego Nwodim.[5][6]
Principal photography took place in New Jersey, under the working title Untitled Roommates Project, in July 2025.[7]
Release
Little Brother premiered at Paris Theater in Manhattan on June 18, 2026.[8] The film was released on Netflix on June 26, 2026.[9]
Reception
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 39% of 41 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 4.6/10.[10]
Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 51 out of 100, based on 10 critics, indicating "mixed or average" reviews.[11]
References
- "Little Brother (15)". British Board of Film Classification. June 25, 2026. Retrieved June 26, 2026.
- Gajewski, Ryan (July 4, 2025). "John Cena, Eric André to Star in Netflix Comedy Movie 'Little Brother'". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on July 23, 2025. Retrieved July 16, 2025.
- Grobar, Matt (April 9, 2025). "'Ingrid Goes West's Matt Spicer To Direct John Cena & Eric André In Netflix Comedy 'Little Brother'". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on July 22, 2025. Retrieved July 16, 2025.
- Cordero, Rosy (December 4, 2024). "John Cena & Eric Andre To Star In Netflix Comedy Feature 'Little Brother'". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on July 22, 2025. Retrieved July 16, 2025.
- Grobar, Matt (July 16, 2025). "Michelle Monaghan Joins John Cena & Eric André In Netflix Comedy 'Little Brother'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved July 16, 2025.
- Stephan, Katcy (July 14, 2025). "Chris Meloni, Ego Nwodim, Sherry Cola, Caleb Hearon and Ben Ahlers Join 'Little Brother' Netflix Comedy Feature (Exclusive)". Variety. Retrieved July 16, 2025.
- Kuperinsky, Amy (July 8, 2025). "John Cena and Eric André filming 'Little Brother' movie in N.J." NJ.com. Retrieved July 16, 2025.
- Ghadashi, Shweta (June 19, 2026). "Eric Andre Arrives In Underwear And Steals The Spotlight At 'Little Brother' Premiere Alongside John Cena". Glam Sham. Retrieved June 19, 2026.
- Miller, Mike (May 5, 2026). "Eric André blows up John Cena's life — and teaches the 'ancient art of analingus' — in Little Brother first look (exclusive)". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved May 5, 2026.
- "Little Brother". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved June 30, 2026.
- "Little Brother". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved June 30, 2026.