Netflix kicks off 2024 with The Brothers Sun, starring Michelle Yeoh as a mother with a criminal past – watch the first trailer now

A New Year always brings uncertainty, but maybe not in the case of Netflix’s 2024 lineup. The streamer starts strong this January with The Brothers Sun, an action-filled crime drama starring Michelle Yeoh as Eileen, the wife of Triad kingpin who has fled to America to protect her family.

Unlike Everything Everywhere All at Once – which saw Yeoh win the Academy Award for Best Actress – Eileen is a very different kind of protective mother. 

In The Brothers Sun, she must juggle eldest Charles (Justin Chien), who is walking the same path as her husband, and Bruce (Sam Song Li), the naive youngest of the brood who suddenly finds himself caught up amid gang warfare.

As the trailer shows, expect things to get very bloody. While Yeoh doesn’t get her hands dirty herself – yet, anyway – she gives more than one verbal beatdown to those threatening her children and is in terrifyingly good form throughout.

The eight-part series, penned by an all-Asian writers’ room, not only features the fledgling bond between Eileen’s two youngest, according to co-creator Byron Wu, it also showcases Yeoh’s ability to nurture new talent.

As Wu tells Netflix, “What I love about Michelle is how much respect she commanded from her two sons on the show, but also from those actors.”

Wu adds, “Of course [I loved] everything she did for the character, but to me I think the most astounding thing was watching her nurture and mentor all these young actors and help them and honestly make them step up. I’ll always appreciate that.”

The Brothers Sun hits Netflix on January 4. For more, check out the best Netflix shows and best Netflix movies you should be watching right now.

Bradley Russell

I'm the Senior Entertainment Writer here at GamesRadar+, focusing on news, features, and interviews with some of the biggest names in film and TV. On-site, you'll find me marveling at Marvel and providing analysis and room temperature takes on the newest films, Star Wars and, of course, anime. Outside of GR, I love getting lost in a good 100-hour JRPG, Warzone, and kicking back on the (virtual) field with Football Manager. My work has also been featured in OPM, FourFourTwo, and Game Revolution.