#REVIEW Good Boys
The latest comedy from the producing duo of Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, as well as the directorial debut of veteran sitcom writer Gene Stupnitsky, “Good Boys” is an outrageously fun time at the movies. The film follows three life-long friends who after being invited to their first boy/girl party, endure a disastrous day full of mayhem as they try to prove just how grown-up they are.
Despite its young and adorable cast, you’d be mistaken to think that “Good Boys” is a movie meant for kids. Armed with an R rating that it fully utilizes, “Good Boys” is as crass and crude as a movie can get. The result? Utter hilarity. The running joke of the movie, that these young boys don’t understand anything about drugs, sex or crime may be a tad overused, but you almost don’t mind. Every scene in this movie is filled with quick-witted comedy and laugh-out-loud moments that you and your friends will be quoting back to each other on the car ride home. Thanks to its excellent pacing and lighthearted tone, “Good Boys” will keep you laughing from start to finish.
As Max, Lucas, and Thor respectively, stars Jacob Tremblay, Keith L. Williams and Brady Noon share fantastic chemistry that only bolster the fantastically funny moments that make up the movie’s modest hour and a half runtime. The group plays off each other exceptionally well and each is given their fair share of the spotlight. No one is left in the lurch as each character not only gets an emotional storyline that has the audience relating to them, but also a handful of memorable hysterical moments. True stars on the rise, the friendship between the trio seems effortless and they’ll have you believe they really have been friends all their lives. More than any other movie released this summer, “Good Boys” really invokes a strong theme of friendship, creating a story that masterfully juggles ridiculous comedy and heartfelt sentiment. As you watch Max, Lucas, and Thor grow and learn more about themselves and the world, you’ll be reminded of yourself at their age and how wonderful and carefree your childhood was. Sure, there are multiple obvious differences between the current generation of young people and the one you grew up in, but what it means to navigate and make sense of the world is a universal theme that is more than apparent in this movie.
Not needing to rely on existing intellectual property, an enormous budget, or headache-inducing special effects, “Good Boys” succeeds simply because it’s a well-written comedy with multiple standout performances. With its simple plot and jovial tone, more than anything “Good Boys” is reminiscent of one of the many coming-of-age movies that were prominent in the 80s. Fun, friendship, and F bombs, there is plenty to love about “Good Boys.” While the raunchy humour may not be for everybody, I would still recommend going to see this consistently funny and competently made movie. Grab your closest friends, get enormous bags of popcorn, and let your troubles fade away as you lose yourself in this chaotic tale of kids who get a taste of what the adult world is really like.
Universal Pictures releases Good Boys in theatres on Friday, August 16, 2019
[Review by Luke Elisio]