The buddy comedy is a bit of a lost art form in the modern era. Its heyday was the 80s, but the modern snarky action blockbuster is much more dominated by individual stars. Many fans of classics like Lethal Weapon wanted to see the genre return, thankfully, the writer of that franchise brought one to the big screen in 2016.
Typically, a film's immediate release window determines its success or failure. It makes a certain amount of money against its production budget, it gets a critical reception, and either remains popular or disappears from public consciousness. Some lucky films, however, get a second life on streaming.
Added quietly to Netflix on August 9th, The Nice Guys can finally get the attention it deserved when it was released six years ago. The film received great reviews across the board but suffered a mild disappointment at the box office. Raking in only $62 million on a relatively modest $50 million budget, the film wasn't exactly a blockbuster. It was beaten by raunchy Seth Rogen comedy Neighbors 2: Sorority Rules of all things, a film that has overwhelmingly failed the test of time. It was swiftly beaten at the multiplex by Captain America: Civil War, despite that film having been released three months earlier. Despite a star-studded cast and a genuinely positive critical reception, The Nice Guys simply didn't get the attention that often lands on much lesser action films.
The Nice Guys is the tale of Holland March and Jackson Healy. The former is a private eye who hit hard times and the latter is a tough enforcer with a long history of violence. Through circumstance, they find themselves with the same goal, trying to solve the case of a missing teenage girl. The draw is the chemistry between the two men, classic opposites who barely get along long enough to survive. March is portrayed with admirable slimy charisma by Ryan Gosling, in perhaps his best action performance. Healy is brought to life with gruff charm by Russell Crowe. The Nice Guys is a perfect masterclass in using both stars to their fullest potential. Gosling's comedic timing is note-perfect, Crowe is great as an everyman with no compunction against violence, and they bounce off each other like old pros. Modern buddy duos haven't come close to capturing what March and Healy bring to this film.
The film is directed and co-written by none other than Shane Black. One of the most iconic figures in 80s cinema, Black is the screenwriter behind Lethal Weapon and Last Action Hero. He's the uncredited script doctor behind Predator, a film he also starred in. His directorial efforts are much less well-received. His first film was Kiss Kiss Bang Bang back in 2005, and with his iconic style, he's brought something special to even his modern efforts. Shane Black's connection to any project raises its profile, even Iron Man 3 was elevated by his touch. Though there have been some disappointments, most notably his 2018 film The Predator, he's a gifted director and screenwriter with a long history of success. The Nice Guys was his follow-up to Iron Man 3, the one for him after his biggest studio project, and it shows. It's tinged with 80s snarky dialogue and drenched in 70s aesthetics, clearly and eagerly hearkening back to an earlier time.
At its heart, The Nice Guys is a mystery as well as a comedy. It's a neo-noir piece without any of the darkness that name typically signifies. It treats its lurid subject matter with a mixture of detached irony and genuine intelligence. Its main characters aren't particularly sharp, but its script is dead on. The film tackles the 70s adult film industry, the Detroit automotive industry boom, and the burgeoning environmental protest movement of the era with a sense of clever snark. The missing girl, portrayed by Once Upon a Time in Hollywood star Margaret Qualley, feels the most human and the most intelligent. She's a reasonable portrayal of a 70s teenager while also being the voice of youthful curiosity and rebellion. Every piece of the puzzle is key to the film working, and, when it gets going, all the disparate parts form something new.
The Nice Guys isn't a perfect film, but it is an elevation of a bygone era of cinema that still has a place in modern moviemaking. Shane Black proved that his passion projects can outpace his more predictable franchise vehicles. Gosling and Crowe proved that they're perfect in the world of personality-driven snarky comedy. With the film's recent release on Netflix, anyone with an interest in buddy comedies, mystery, 70s period pieces, or any of the talent involved owes it to themselves to check out The Nice Guys. It's the kind of movie that a director is always trying to make, and the movie-going public let Black down by skipping it.