Every year's slate of films typically has its token, raunchy comedy released by a large studio and to no one's surprise, 2019's comes from the mind of executive producer Seth Rogen. Gene Stupnitsky's Good Boys continues this trend of childhood innocence gone wrong in a hysterical comedy that truly anyone regardless of generation can relate to. While it is plainly obvious as to why some people would not enjoy this genre of comedy due to its brash nature, there is so much pure charm and chemistry between this cast that makes this film such a joy. While the goofy and crude element of its humor is evident thanks to Rogen's trademark style, each cast member really brings something else to this story, making the way for a surprisingly sweet, relatable message towards its end. Despite a relatively primitive plot and its reliance on shock value, Good Boys is truly carried by this cast and how lovable each and every character is written.
Max (Jacob Tremblay), Lucas (Keith L. Williams), and Thor (Brady Noon) are inseparable best friends known as the Bean Bag Boys. Over the course of one day, the three of them accidentally steal drugs, get hunted by a pair of teenage girls, and get mixed up in loads of unpredictable shenanigans. However, the three boys have to try and sort all of this out before the day ends so that they can make it to their first-ever "kissing party" where Max is trying to impress the love of his life. I am so thankful that Tremblay, Williams, and Noon were all cast in the parts that they were because their chemistry as best friends is the greatest part of this whole film. The high-pitched screaming, careless playfulness, and naiveté of them all is exactly what Hollywood does not want you to think of these kids. But frankly, it's a universal reality for everyone the kinds of things that these kids do and the way that they interact. The truthful representation of these kids, although at times exaggerated, is what makes their characters so lovable, even though they might be a bit more foul-mouthed than many of us were. The performances from them all were great and showed how trained these young kids already are. And the fact that these three have worked on such a high-budget and well-marketed film with a big name like Rogen this early in their careers only promises much more potential for advancement and success in their futures. Stupnitksy and Lee Eisenberg's script for this film gave way for an endless amount of enjoyment as well: not only was it hilarious and had me keeled over at times, but there is a fantastic amount of heart in it as well. I adored the message throughout this film of growing apart and growing up and as basic as it may be, it was executed in such a smooth way thanks to Stupnitksy's debut direction in his first feature film.
Good Boys does a lot of things right with its comedy but does even more so with its portrayal of being a 12-year old. Most of this film's humor stems from the gleeful innocence of childhood and how these characters react to adult situations that they otherwise would not have been put in. This theme made for some of the funniest lines uttered by some of the most clueless, young tweens. The way that Max, Lucas, and Thor wholeheartedly believe in things that they themselves are not even sure about is such a 12-year old thing to do that was painfully hilarious to me. My gripe with this kind of shocking humor, however, is that the novelty quickly begins to grow old. Rogen accomplished so much unexpected and unforgettable humor in Sausage Party that was fantastic, but I think that shock value can only go so far. Good Boys relied on that wave of "I can't believe a young kid just said that" for a bit too long for its own good. Despite this, I have been excited about this movie since I saw its first trailer. No matter how goofy or crude he may be, I will always support Seth Rogen in his comedic endeavors as he has already proven to audiences how fantastic and well-rounded of an artist he can actually be. Given that, I never have high expectations for a comedy film of this variety, but that is the best way to approach them. I knew exactly what I was in for when I bought my ticket for this film and despite its incredibly short run time, I can not say that I was disappointed in the slightest.
If one was not familiar with the work of Jacob Tremblay before seeing Good Boys, you might get a wrong first impression that his parents are batshit crazy. That's what I love about him and this cast, though. Whether or not any of these kids were in an Oscar-winning film, their talents spread so far that they are able to have fun in this more mature setting. This film was honestly exactly what I expected and just because of that, I had an absolute blast.
My Rating: ★★★½
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