The name of this film should tell you one thing: That the characters are the exact opposite of good boys. Well, at least they’re trying to be. And that’s what makes this movie about three tweens so funny. It’s far from clean, but you won’t feel bad watching it. The boys’ innocence will make you laugh, and their friendship will make you smile at the resolution of the film.
“Good Boys” tells the story of sixth-graders Max, Lucas and Thor, who realize the extent of their inexperience with girls after being invited to a kissing party. They believe that spying on Max’s teenage neighbor Hannah will give them some idea of what to do, but their mission goes awry when the girl captures their drone. The boys set off to get it back so that Max can go to the party and kiss Brixlee, his alluring crush.
In a funny subplot, the boys happen to steal MDMA from Hannah when Thor steals her purse. At first the boys are shocked that she and her friend would take drugs and refuse to return the ecstasy to the girls. When they realize that trading drugs for their drone might be their only choice, though, the boys become further entangled trying to get more ecstasy for the teenagers. And this is all while Max and his friends are trying to figure out how to kiss a girl.
The casting in this movie was spot-on. The actors who played the three main boys were at just the right age to play sexually curious sixth-graders: While they appear to be adorable and innocent children, they were actually interested in more “adult” pursuits. Jacob Tremblay (Max), Keith L. Williams (Lucas) and Brady Noon (Thor) all put on a great performance, giving each of their characters a unique personality while being united in their inexperience.
Tremblay especially pulled off the role of a maturing boy. His wide-eyed innocent look, floppy blond hair and sky-high voice allowed his character to appear cute and innocent even as certain lines of his (including one about constantly desiring to rub up against a tree) indicated that his character was entering puberty.
The juxtaposition of this naivety with the boys’ growing interest in girls accounted for the humor of the entire film. Their misinterpretation of many of the “adult” topics they are exposed to (including situations involving sex toys and drugs) is funny in its absurdity. At one point, for example, Max states that his neighbor is a nymphomaniac, a person who can have sex “on both land and sea.”
The humor in “Good Boys” was irreverent and amusing. Though the premise of the movie was comical, the characters’ ridiculous interpretations of their circumstances elicit most of the laughs. While the humor was often dirty, it wasn’t degrading or disturbing. It was just inexperienced tweens trying to figure out how to not seem so naive. There were definitely a lot of expletives, though, and it was funny to see “innocent” young boys utter them. (Ironically, the three main actors should be too young to watch their own movie because of its rating).
On the plus side, “Good Boys” was actually kind of sweet. The characters’ friendship was central to the storyline, and the movie tackled the idea of how friendships might change as kids grow up and begin to follow their own paths.
I’d highly recommend “Good Boys” if you’re looking for something that’s a little raunchy but also a little sweet. The sweetness tempers the raunchiness and makes “Good Boys” a comedy that’s light and funny but with a little happy message. The film doesn’t go overboard with the sweet stuff either, so it doesn’t feel forced or misplaced.
“Good Boys” is a funny film that you’ll feel good laughing at. It’s inappropriate, but the boys’ inexperience and the lessons they learn will prevent you from feeling so bad when you see them swearing, drinking or even practicing kissing with a “CPR” doll.
Rating: 5/5
Stephanie Santillo is a staff writer for The Daily Campus. She can be reached via email at stephanie.santillo@uconn.edu.
