2 out of 5 stars (has some good moments, but is overall bad)
Good Boys is one of the most forgettable movies of the year. Like Booksmart, it attempts to combine the wild antics of its young heroes (in this case 6th grade boys) with a heartfelt message about friendship. Unfortunately, its central gag of “kids don’t do/say THAT” becomes repetitive and uncomfortable fast, save for the few funny scenes where regular people react to their behavior. Good Boys is an inconsistent, forgettable comedy whose well-intended message is drowned out by forced raunchiness.
We follow 3 close-knit tweens: Max (Jacob Tremblay), Lucas (Keith L. Williams) and Thor (Brady Noon) as they prepare for a “kissing party” held by a popular kid where Max’s crush will be in attendance. Unfortunately, none of them know how to kiss or hold their booze, so they set out to find alcohol and learn how to make out before the party. This leads to them unintentionally stealing marijuana from 2 teenage girls (Molly Gordon and Midori Francis), along with other hijinks.
Good Boys is so forgettable that I’m having trouble remembering it to type this review. I felt extremely uncomfortable watching 6th graders learn to drink beer, pine after girls they barely know, and scream at each other endlessly. Williams and Noon fit their roles, but Tremblay feels miscast. Molly Gordon and Midori Francis nearly steal the movie, but the trailer spoiled the best gags (including the final scene of the movie). Good Boys is the class clown whose good jokes are outweighed by groan-worthy attempts to be “edgy”. Skip it.
Rated R for Strong Crude Sexual Content, Drug and Alcohol Material, and Language Throughout-All Involving Tweens.