Clement Virgo (The Book of Negroes) makes a brilliant return to feature filmmaking with this propulsive adaptation of David Chariandy’s celebrated novel. Set against the backdrop of suburban Scarborough, Brother follows siblings Michael (Lamar Johnson) and Francis (Aaron Pierre) as they strive to justify the sacrifices of their devoting mother (Marsha Stephanie Blake) and realise their own ambitions: for Francis, that’s a career in hip-hop; for Michael, it’s the love of Aisha (Kiana Madeira). However, fates has other plans for this pair and all those they hold dear.

While maintaining the precision of Chariandy’s prose, Virgo’s film is a wholly cinematic and remarkably sensorial work. Skipping between past and present to explore masculinity, race, and family, Virgo’s direction is elegant in its handling of evolving character dynamics and authoritative in ensuring that instances of brutality possess harrowing verisimilitude. While detailing the devastating repercussions of senseless acts of violence, Brother also distinguishes itself with its powerful depictions of the healing process.