Verdict:
Vulgar shock humour is divisive. I recall how Sausage Party, another such filthy comedy from Seth Rogen from a few years back, had some people laughing on the floor while (most) others utterly hated it. After watching Good Boys, I expected it to have a perfect score from the public, and then remembered, “Oh right, this is an immature comedy and it’s 2019.”
However, unlike Sausage Party, which seemed to have the sole objective of shocking you with gross-out humour, Good Boys demonstrates a surprising level of intelligence amid its silliness and is considerably more charming. There is a quick line uttered by one of the kids in this movie: “I am not a feminist. I like women”. This line is brushed over very quickly and the movie moves on, but it’s full of brilliant well-timed little nuggets like this one.
The plot is rather disjointed and therefore forgettable. There is some very basic premise, but the narrative structure of Good Boys is more episodic. It goes from one situation to the other, as the misadventures of main characters escalate, but it’s just a series of connected sketches.
Despite potential objections to the film’s style of comedy, the technical execution is solid. The acting, particularly from the three young leads, is surprisingly competent. Remember, these are 3 kids, and it could’ve been much worse. The direction and cinematography are straightforward but effective, with some creative shots that add to the film’s comedic beats. The comedic timing is on point.
Good Boys should appeal to those who enjoyed the early Family Guy or Tosh.0 or South Park. If you cringed at those, you will cringe at this movie too. But I am, for one, glad it exists. This type of film is now considered edgy, after everything South Park gave us and after all the raunchy comedies of the past century. Say what you want about the prenuclear persona of Seth Rogan, but in this sterile world, where people lost their sense of humour, the world desperately needs movies like Good Boys.