I’ll confess, when I saw “Only the Brave” appear in the Prime Video top 10 most-watched movies list over the weekend, I was unfamiliar with the flick. But I discovered it’s a biographical drama starring Josh Brolin and Miles Teller from director Joseph Kosinski, the filmmaker behind "Top Gun: Maverick" and this summer’s "F1: The Movie."
With so much talent both in front of the camera and behind it, I’m a little ashamed that "Only the Brave" has proved to be a real blind spot in my usually reliable film knowledge.
However, considering it was a box office bomb when it hit theaters in 2017, grossing around $26 million against a production budget of around $40 million, I’m clearly not the only person who missed out on this movie the first time around. Fortunately, its arrival on the Amazon-owned streaming service is giving it a second chance at finding a larger audience, and it’s clearly taking it.
"Only the Brave" could certainly be classified as overlooked considering its box office failure, but those who took the chance on it over the past few years, for the most part, appear to have been impressed. One glance at its Rotten Tomatoes score tells you this is a firefighter drama that successfully shines a spotlight on a group of everyday heroes, honoring the sacrifices they make to keep others safe.
So, if "Only the Brave’s" leap into the Prime Video top 10 (it currently ranks in the No. 8 spot) has you similarly curious to know more, here’s everything you need to know about this emotionally impactful drama.
What is ‘Only the Brave’ about?
"Only the Brave" is a big-screen chronicling of the Granite Mountain Hotshots, an elite firefighting crew based in Prescott, Arizona. The team is most known for their role in fighting the Yarnell Hill Fire in June 2013, an out-of-control blaze that resulted in the largest loss of firefighter life in a single day since the tragic events of September 11, 2001.
Josh Brolin plays Eric Marsh, the superintendent of the Hotshots, who is so committed to his role and his responsibilities to his team that it’s negatively impacting his relationship with his wife, Amanda (Jennifer Connelly). Meanwhile, Miles Teller plays Brendan McDonough, a troubled new recruit, who finds much-needed purpose and camaraderie as he learns the ropes of being a firefighter.
The Joseph Kosinski movie shows how these brave men sprint towards dangers that send everyday civilians fleeing, and how, through their heroic efforts, they find a unique bond that binds them together as more than just colleagues, instead becoming a true brotherhood.
Should you stream 'Only the Brave' on Prime Video?
There’s plenty to like about "Only the Brave." I suspect that for many viewers, the headline scenes of the Granite Mountain Hotshots battling towering infernos will be the biggest draw.
After all, with Kosinski in the director's seat, it won’t come as a surprise when I say these moments are remarkably well constructed, with extreme intensity and cinematic energy.
However, what "Only the Brave" does even better is give you a real understanding of the men battling these fires. Clocking in at almost two and a half hours, the drama takes its time fleshing out its two leads, and this massively pays off in the third act.
Then the Yarnell Hill Fire springs into life, the stakes are high because we’ve come to not just understand the personal lives and motivations of Eric and Brendan, but care about them as real people.
The time taken to develop its characters successfully heightens the drama, and while some viewers may find the movie’s willingness to explore character-driven drama as a priority over scenes of building-sized blazes a little slow, it’s a very wise decision. Of course, it helps when you have the magnetic Josh Brolin anchoring your picture.
And Miles Teller does his dependable, lovable scamp motif as well as always. So while you may come to "Only the Brave" for its big-screen take on firefighters' heroics, you’ll be truly invested because of the compelling characters.
The film might have flopped at the box office, but its critical reception was strong. It holds an impressive 87% score on Rotten Tomatoes, with the review aggregate site’s ‘Critics Consensus’ reading: "'Only the Brave's' impressive veteran cast and affecting fact-based story add up to a no-frills drama that's just as stolidly powerful as the real-life heroes it honors." Which is an assessment that mirrors my own take.
Its score from viewers is even stronger at 91%, and with a fresh wave of interest thanks to its success on Prime Video, there’s every chance this score could rise higher in the days ahead. Some of the most recent audience reviews label the movie "incredible," "powerful," and "very emotional."
One even warns you to have “your tissues ready,” which is a recommendation I agree with, considering the finale is particularly emotionally devastating.
Overall, "Only the Brave" deserves its moment in the spotlight and will really make you appreciate the efforts of firefighters, who put their lives on the line to protect ordinary people every day.
But if you’re truly not sold on this movie, then here’s a roundup of everything new on Prime Video this month, which includes plenty of streaming recommendations.
Watch "Only the Brave" on Prime Video now
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