Sometimes, when a movie is released, audiences can almost tell immediately that they’re destined to become cult classics. Whether it underperforms at the box office or with critics, it can still build an audience, simply by word of mouth, that discovers it long after it leaves theaters. The 2016 crime comedy-thriller The Nice Guys is most certainly one of these cases; despite earning critical praise, the film failed to make a financial splash and was largely forgotten. However, years after its release, audiences caught on to the movie, which is currently seeing a resurgence on streaming — in fact, The Nice Guys has soared to number one on Apple TV.
Written and directed by Shane Black, The Nice Guys transports audiences to 1970s Los Angeles, where two unlikely investigators, played by Ryan Gosling and Russell Crowe, become involved in a conspiracy surrounding a missing woman and massive corruption. What follows is a hilarious, thrilling, refreshing, and chaotic combination of detective noir, buddy comedy, and Hollywood action. Its unexpected resurgence is yet another reminder that just because a film didn’t find success in theaters, doesn’t mean that it isn’t worth seeing. Cult classics are classics for a reason, and The Nice Guys definitely deserves its place among the best.
‘The Nice Guys’ Was a Box Office Bomb
On paper, The Nice Guys has everything necessary to be a successful hit in the theaters. Two movie-star leads, a director with a track record of hits like Iron Man 3 and Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, and a fun story that offered something new as the industry became more franchise-oriented. Unfortunately, it didn’t click with moviegoers at the time, earning just $71 million against a $50 million production budget. When you factor in marketing and distribution, the numbers were hardly encouraging.
While it struggled financially, The Nice Guys garnered positive reviews, and its warm reception there helped the film build a more devoted following over the past decade. Viewers have begun discovering what makes the movie such a fun watch: its inventive action sequences, razor-sharp dialogue, and endlessly quotable lines. Much of this appeal stems from Black’s understanding of what makes a great buddy comedy. The relationship between Gosling’s character Holland March and Crowe’s Jackson Healy forms the crux of the film, and their dysfunction is its highlight.
Russell Crowe and Ryan Gosling Are the Perfect Crime-Fighting Duo
Crowe and Gosling have built their careers playing dramatically different kinds of characters, and their contrasting acting styles are what makes The Nice Guys work so well. In usual fashion, Crowe’s Jackson Healy is a physically imposing tough guy in the same vein as films like Gladiator, while Gosling leans on his comedic skills to portray Holland March and serve as the yin to Healy’s yang. Neither man is a traditional hero; Healy is brute force, while March is an irresponsible alcoholic whose young daughter often shows smarter judgment than both adults.
Gosling delivers one of the best comedic performances of his career, hinging almost entirely on his talent for physical comedy. Whether he’s struggling to maintain his composure in a confrontation or a tense scene, his impeccable timing turns March into an unforgettable character and makes the film one of Gosling’s career best.
Meanwhile, Crowe provides the perfect counterbalance as the film’s “straight man.” His dry, understated reactions make Gosling’s character even funnier, as Crowe tries to keep his unlikely partner on task while also serving as another parental figure to March’s daughter. Through the laughs, Crowe gives Jackson Healy emotional complexity that keeps him from falling into traditional tough-guy tropes.
Crucially, their relationship develops organically as the film progresses, while the investigation unfolds. Beneath the insults they throw at one another, their violent encounters (including when Healy breaks March’s arm, in one of the movie’s funniest scenes), and incompetence, The Nice Guys is ultimately about two men who are at their lowest, discovering they need one another.
Underneath the jokes and explosive action, the genuine detective mystery is precisely why The Nice Guys works and is worth repeated viewings. Ten years after its release, the film’s renewed streaming popularity feels like a late-stage victory for a movie most once overlooked. While many fans remain hopeful for a sequel, the movie works perfectly well on its own. At the end of the day, sometimes all a great film needs is a second chance.
- Release Date
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May 20, 2016
- Runtime
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116 minutes
- Director
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Shane Black
