REVIEW: Good Boys

By: Catie Cornell

There’s nothing good about the movie Good Boys, there’s only great. For a movie about

sixth graders, the movie is for anyone but. Filled with prepubescent boys dropping “f bombs," sex toys, and lots of talk about the human body and it’s, uh, capabilities, all I have to say is don’t see this raunchy, side-splitting, yet sweet, one with your mom.

Marketed as, from the guys who brought you Superbad (producers Seth Rogen and Evan

Goldberg) viewers should be expecting dry humor, with cringy moments that can’t help but make you giggle, which is exactly what they will get.

The movie begins with Max, played by Jacob Tremblay (a very different role from his

previously Oscar-nominated one in Room) manipulating his video game character to have much larger breasts, and then, you guessed it, attempting to masturbate. His father (Will Forte) interrupts the moment, and when he realizes what’s going on, praises his son- starting off the film with laugh-out-loud timing that consumes the rest of the 1 hour and 35 minute run time.

The film then introduces the two other members of the “Bean Bag Boys," Lucas (played

by Keith L. Williams), and Thor (Brady Noon). While it’s tempting to pick out a star of the

show, each of the three boys is individually hysterical. All three nail the comedic timing of the

one-liners, provided by writers Lee Eisenberg and Gene Stupnitsky, that have proven to be a

challenge for other actors.

When the three boys are invited to a kissing party, their desperate attempts at preparing

for their first night ever of locking lips takes them on an adventure filled with CPR dolls, sex

toys, hard drugs, and a dislocated shoulder that leads to one of the funniest movie scenes of all time- topping the iconic middle of the road bathroom break from Bridesmaids.

Lucas’s rule-following personality mixed with the internal struggle of dealing with his

parents new divorce announcement, leads him to be morally correct at a time when he shouldn’t necessarily be- like when he tells a police officer he is carrying drugs. This directly conflicts with Thor’s rebellious, just wanting to fit in, personality. Max is the group leader, who connects the three boys with his sweet temperament. The combination of the three boys, with the hilarious situations they have found themselves in, creates a film that will, plain and simple, make you laugh.

The story of the three boys adventure of the day is fast-paced, and goes from one event to

the next, never missing a beat and preventing viewers from feeling bored or wanting more.

While the plotline is highly unrealistic, it doesn’t matter. Audience members do not need a

wildly unpredictable and mind-blowing plot, they have the unique humor to entertain them.

Most of the humor stems from the relatability of the jokes, as most of the amusement

comes from the young boy’s naivetes and ignorance about the real world and all that it entails,like sex and drugs.

It cannot help but remind viewers of what they once thought about the world

and how wildly incorrect it was (including, as Thor states, four sips of beer makes you an

alcoholic… which is really cool!). Its highlighting of the young boys and their perceptions of

certain things can’t help but make viewers feel nostalgic while they’re laughing.

The best part is that the film, while it doesn’t need to be, is actually somewhat touching.

It reflects on the challenges of growing up and realizing things might be different than you once expected, whether that be in terms of friendships, major life events, or family.

So no, good boys isn’t good. It’s hilarious. It’s touching. It makes you think and makes

you laugh. What more could you want?