The summer of 2019 has been a barren wasteland for comedies. That’s not to say there haven’t been funny movies released, but this summer has been a disappointment for any real success stories in the ha-ha department. Good Boys is the last best chance the summer has for a breakout comedy. It’s produced by Seth Rogen, it’s written and directed by writers from The Office, and the concept of a ribald sex comedy from the point of view of adolescents who don’t know anything about sex is a promising start. I might need to revise that last sentence. 

Sixth grade is a whole different world, at least according to the pint-sized stars of the movie, affectionately nick-named “The Beanbag Boys.” Max (Jacob Tremblay) is eager to tell his crush Brixlee how he feels and is given an epic opportunity when he’s invited by the “cool kids” to their party. Oh, and it’s a kissing party. Max is afraid of ruining his chances by being a bad kisser and generally giving away his inexperience. His two good friends are here to help but also dealing with their own problems. Lucas’ (Keith L. Williams) parents are getting divorced and he’s trying to put on a brave face about his fear of change. Thor (Brady Noon) is debating between embracing his passion for singing and theater or abandoning it to avoid being bullied. The three friends venture out on a wild day of adventures to make sure Max gets the girl. 

Before viewing, I was worried that Good Boys was going to basically be one joke on repeat, namely the kids saying something inappropriate and that being the joke. To the film’s credit, the dialogue exchanges and comic set pieces are not built around lazy shock value. There are some easy jokes to be had for sure, especially the kids misunderstanding sex toys as weapons and regular toys, but the movie doesn’t rest on these as its only source of funny. The kids curse freely but I found their salty language more endearing than shock value, and that’s how the film treats it as well. The joke isn’t that you wouldn’t expect children to speak this way, it’s more on their general naivete and urgency to be seen as their vision of what it means to be an adult. Much of the comedy comes from the kids looking to rush ahead without the personal wherewithal and maturity to understand what it means to exactly be a grownup.  

Because of this storytelling approach, Good Boys can feel like a high school comedy transplanted into a middle school setting. The kids are stressed about a big party with their reputations and chance at popularity on the line. They can finally make their move and score big with their crush. It’s amusing to watch and recognize certain high school movies archetypes retrofitted into 12-year-olds filling the roles. However, there’s also a predicated distance with this approach. It’s a view of childhood not quite ready for the adult world but it’s also told through the ironic lens of adulthood, where the audience can smile knowingly. It works in so much as a framing of the characters in a “oh, boys, if you only knew” manner that delivers more smiles and chuckles than it does side-splitting laughter. It’s a funny movie, sure, but it’s not hysterical. 

The best part of the movie for me was the fun camaraderie between the three boys. They feel very naturally like awkward friends ready to be embarrassed from one another at any moment but then call for their help the next. We have the Superbad dynamic of the timid nerdy kid, the awkward lovesick kid, and the outspoken loudmouth. Obviously given their ages, some of these characteristics are toned down (the boys are more horrified by sex and porn than aroused) but the types are still identifiable. The kids feel and act like kids and each of them works within their character lane and stays true to that. Their frantic worry and problem-solving was a consistent source of entertainment. I was surprised how far the film adds for a resolution, bringing in a bittersweet post-script that feels like it might have been pulled from a more grounded version (fear not, it still ends on a sex joke). You do get a strong sense of what this friendship means to the kids, even as they confront the question of whether or not their friendship is built to growing apart. By the end of the movie, I felt enough attachment to the three kids and happy that they were finding their way even if that meant the prospect of change. 

Structurally, Good Boys is too episodic and missing a clearer sense of direction. It can feel listless at times, drifting from one comic set piece that emerges to the next. Initially the driving force is learning how to kiss properly for the kissing party, but they quickly abandon the resource of the Internet absurdly early. The majority of the movie tracks the boys trying to get back a captured drone from two older teen girls they had been spying on. It can feel like the movie is stalling and doesn’t know what to do with its time. Sometimes it’s less noticeable when it finds an off ramp into something funny. The movie never gets too crazy save for a trip to a frat house that goes into stylized violence. Other times it feels like the story and scenarios were thrown together without the needed connective tissue to better justify why things are happening. It’s like the movie is shrugging about establishing cause-effect and doesn’t care about hiding it.

Good Boys is a cute summer comedy with a sweet heart and an attempt at a dirty mind. It’s not built for more than a relatively fun 90-minute trifle; perfectly enjoyable as a single serving but not anything you’ll feel the need to come back to. It can feel a little too laid back in its plot, tone, and comedy scenarios. It’s not enough to ruin the relative good times but it keeps Good Boys as only a minor success.

Nate’s Grade: B-