‘Good Boys’ Review: A Dark and Twisted Sense of Humor

The entire premise surrounding Good Boys is that you have these young and innocent sixth graders who are saying some of the most foul-mouthed things imaginable. Think Superbad but with tweens and instead of sex it’s just a kissing party they’re trying to get to. That doesn’t make it any less raunchy, however. Good Boys doesn’t hold back the filth and will have audiences laughing nonstop with its raunchy and sometimes twisted dark sense of humor.

Max (Jacob Tremblay) and his two best friends Thor (Brady Noon) and Lucas (Keith L. Williams) get invited to a kissing party, but their excitement soon turns to horror when they realize they’ve never kissed anyone before. In an attempt to learn how to kiss before the party, Max steals his dad’s expensive drone in order to spy on his neighbors and hopefully catch them in the act. Unfortunately, all doesn’t go according to plan and they end up with his drone which starts off a chain of events that includes beer, drugs, and creepy sex dolls. One thing’s for sure, nothing’s going to stop Max from getting to that party and kissing the girl of his dreams.

Good Boys is lean, mean, and downright brutal with its humor. If 6th grade taught me anything it’s that kids don’t hold back when it comes to making jokes at others’ expense and the film captures that perfectly. Calling someone “Sippy Cup” because they don’t take a sip of beer from the bottle is mean, but having their rebuttal revolve around the fact that this kid’s dad has to take the bus to work because of two DUI’s cuts deep. That’s what Good Boys does best. It will leave you laughing with a barrage of immature yet hilarious jokes and then drop a truth bomb that’ll make you wince just a bit before cracking up.

Jacob Tremblay, Brady Noon, and Keith L. Williams are wonderful together and perfectly portray both the innocence and curiosity of tweens despite the fact that they’re constantly swearing throughout. Oftentimes a scene is hilarious due to the fact that they don’t have any idea what they’re talking about, like when they stumble upon one of their parent’s collection of sex toys thinking they’re weapons. There are plenty of other similar well-timed jokes that fall into this category, but they never feel old or reused.

The film runs at a brisk 90 minutes so it’s often one joke after another. If something falls flat then just give it a few seconds because there’s sure to be another one-two punch coming in fast. Not everything is going to land with everybody, but I was laughing hard for the majority of the film. Not only is it hilarious, but Good Boys also manages to get a little emotional towards the end as well. Friendships and relationships don’t always last forever and sometimes people just drift apart. Sure, it’s played for laughs as well as “forever” in this context is about a month or so, but the point still remains. Like the humor, there are these little moments sprinkled throughout that can cut deep.

Good Boys is the most fun I’ve had at the theater in a long time. Sure, it’s a little over-reliant on its profane humor, but it will no doubt have you having until you’re on the brink of tears. The cast is fantastic and its message is ultimately heartwarming; it’s pure fun and entertaining.