Written by Tom Moore
This year Olivia Wilde made her directorial debut with Booksmart, a coming of age comedy filled to the brim with excellent laughs, standout performances, and heartwarming themes about judgmental stereotypes and moving on in life. Most coming of age movies focus on the coming of age of teenagers, but isn’t there one out there for tweens? Well, yes, they just can’t watch it and I’m not talking about Eighth Grade.
Instead, I’m talking about Good Boys, the new film produced by Seth Rogen that’s also the directorial debut of Gene Stupnitsky. The film focuses on a group of sixth grade boys going through R-rated antics to get their first kiss, fit in with the popular kids, and learn some valuable lessons along the way. Now, this simple description makes Good Boys sound like just another raunchy coming of age comedy that’s pretty much a younger version of Superbad and in some ways it is. However, what sets Good Boys apart is the trio of tweens that keeps you laughing throughout the entire film and the unique “valuable lessons” the film offers.
Honestly, there haven’t been many movies this year that have made me laugh like Good Boys did and it is because of how great this trio of lead tweens really is. Obviously, hearing sixth graders curse, unknowingly play with sex toys, get into fights with frat guys, and think that taking three sips of a beer is hardcore is going to be funny just on its own. However, these moments are elevated through the personalities and performances of these lead characters. It’s always as if these kids know what certain adult things are but aren’t fully aware enough to accurately understand them.
Whether it’s Max (Jacob Tremblay) thinking his crush Brixlee (Millie Davis) is going to be the girl he’s going to marry or Thor (Brady Noon) thinking that his parents’ sex toys are weapons, there’s a level of innocence and maturity that mixes well with each of these kids’ performances. My favorite, though, had to be Lucas (Keith L. Williams), as his good-hearted honesty made me laugh every single time and there’s always this sense of comfort that he has about himself that made him different from Max and Thor and made him such a delight. Not to mention, any scene involving S.C.A.B. (Student Coalition Against Bullying) had me dying with laughter.
Good Boys also isn’t just raunchy humor as it actually has some interesting messages about growing up that aren’t seen much for this age group—even if they don’t go that deep. Issues that each character faces like Lucas’s parents getting divorced and Thor feeling like an outcast and seeking approval from the popular kids are nicely touched upon and Williams and Noon’s performances make their characters easier to connect with.
Personally, the same can’t be said about Max, as his issues with his father’s drone and getting his first kiss don’t standout that much and while Tremblay’s performance is just as good, I didn’t find myself caring as much about his issues. There are also some interesting themes about expectations we have when we are young about life and our friends staying the same that are quite poignant. I even have to commend the film for actually showing the future of the group learning that things don’t always stay the same and giving viewers a richer ending for the trio of tweens. I will say, though, that while these messages and themes are nice to see, they do feel a little thrown into an already large mix of things that happen in Good Boys.
Honestly, the plot of Good Boys could have used a stronger structure as there were times, especially towards the end, where I almost forgot what the film was about. Between all of the crazy skits, essentially, and wild antics, I forgot that the whole point of their adventures was to get to this kissing party and because their goal is so easy to forget, it makes the last act drag a bit and the themes that come from it a little forced. What also comes off as forced is the trio constantly talking about consent.
Not that it’s a bad thing for a young group of tweens to be knowledgeable about it and them saying that they learned it from an assembly makes a lot of sense, but the moments where it happens were a little unnatural and seemed forced at times. Personally, I also could’ve used more unique direction from Stupnitsky as the film lacks a sense of identity outside of its premise and humor.
Look, is Good Boys one of the funniest films that has and probably will come out this year? Absolutely. Does it also contain some interesting messages and characters that really resonate with viewers? Definitely. Does it still have its fair share of issues and can’t fully escape comparison to Superbad? Yes. In terms of coming of age comedies, Good Boys definitely holds its own and will not leave viewers disappointed, but with competition like Booksmart and Eighth Grade, it’s hard not feel like Good Boys doesn’t offer enough to be on the same level as its competitors.
