R-Rated Netflix Comedy Is A Hilarious Trip Down Memory Lane

Good Boys is Gene Stupnitsky’s directorial debut and written by Stupnitsky and Lee Eisenberg. The film stars the three young up-and-coming actors Jacob Tremblay, Keith L. Williams, and Brady Noon, who have all steadily become bigger stars since Good Boys came out in 2019. The film was also produced by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg through their Grey Pictures banner, so it’s definitely worth checking out if you’re fans of Rogen and Goldberg’s work.

Good Boys follows three sixth graders who decide to ditch school after they are invited to a major upcoming kissing party. They take their day off to practice their kissing and use one of their parent’s drones to spy on some teenage girls. However, things go awry when the trio has to try and replace the drone after it goes missing.

Good Boys was big financial success upon its release, grossing an impressive $111 million against a budget of $20 million. It was also warmly received by audiences and critics, with many people enjoying the crass humor mixed with nostalgia and heartwarming character arcs. The comedic chemistry and performances of the main cast also shine through, and the film even nabbed a People’s Choice Awards nomination for Favorite Comedy Movie that year.

As with other pre-teen comedies in recent years, the movie gets a lot of mileage out of casting age-appropriate actors in the roles. Tremblay, Williams, Noon, and the other young actors bring a ton of authenticity to their roles, thanks to them being relatively the same age as the roles they’re playing. Of course, it helps that the trio are talented actors beyond their years as well, allowing them to sell the plot while also just being kids.

It’s a tactic that has continued to work in other recent coming-of-age comedies like Pen15, Eighth Grade, and even the animated Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem. Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg wrote and produced the latter film, so it seems like they definitely picked up some of those sensibilities from casting Good Boys. Of course, they also are responsible for one of the greatest high school comedies of all time with Superbad, so it’s not too surprising.

Jacob Tremblay, Keith L Williams, and Brady Noon have also all gone on to do some great projects since starring in Good Boys. Tremblay voiced the titular merkid in Luca and also voiced Orion in the recent Orion and the Dark. Keith L Williams starred in the 2022 film Secret Headquarters, while Rogen and Goldberg brought Noon to another project with the aforementioned Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem

In short, Good Boys has humor, heart, and great performances from some of Hollywood’s up-and-comers. Remember, there’s not much longer to stream it. Make sure to check it out on Netflix before it leaves on February 29.