“Good Boys” is a 2019 comedy about three sixth-grade boys trying to get a broken drone fixed before their parents find out. It is directed by Gene Stupnitsky, who wrote the script with Lee Eisenberg. The film stars Jacob Tremblay, Keith L. Williams, and Brady Noon as Max, Lucas, and Thor, three friends whose lives collide when they accidentally ruin a prized family drone.
The setup is simple. Max, Lucas, and Thor want to kiss their classmate Brixlee. They think spying on their neighbor Hannah will teach them how. Instead, they end up with her ecstasy, and the rest of the movie is about getting a new drone back without getting caught.
Trailer, via Universal Pictures.
Max, Lucas, and Thor
Max is the main character. He has a crush on Brixlee, which drives the whole plot. Lucas learns his parents are getting divorced, which adds a layer of anxiety to his behavior. Thor is bullied and loves singing, but he is discouraged from following that path. The three of them are best friends, and that bond is the heart of the film.
The trio is a classic comedy unit. One is the leader, one is the anxious one, and one is the wild card. Tremblay, Williams, and Noon play off each other well, and their chemistry is the reason the movie works at all.
The Broken Drone
The central problem is a broken drone. Max’s father owns it, and it is valuable to him. The boys use it to spy on Hannah, and that is where things go wrong. The drone breaks, and the boys are left with Hannah’s ecstasy instead of the information they wanted.
This is the inciting incident. Without it, there is no movie. The boys have to fix the drone to keep their parents from finding out what they did. That chase is the engine of the film.
The Mall and the Drugs
The boys cut school to go to the mall. There, they run into Hannah and her friend Lily, who have bought the drone and want the ecstasy in return. The boys manage to get new ecstasy from Hannah’s ex-boyfriend Benji, and they trade it for the drone.
The sequence is chaotic. There are chases, mistakes, and near-misses. It is the funniest stretch of the film, even though it is built on the boys doing something clearly wrong.
The Party and the Kiss
The climax comes at a party hosted by Soren. Max gets to kiss Brixlee, but the moment is spoiled when Thor and Lucas show up unexpectedly. The friends argue afterward, and Max takes the blame to protect the others from punishment.
“You must be this tall to see this movie.”
That tagline is a joke about the rating, since the film contains drug use and mature content. It is a funny line, but it also points to the film’s problem: it is aimed at adults, not at kids.
The Supporting Cast
The adult actors add texture. Will Forte plays Max’s dad, and his scenes are some of the best in the film. Lil Rel Howery plays Lucas’s dad, and Retta plays Lucas’s mom. Mariessa Portelance plays Max’s mom, and Midori Francis plays Hannah.
Lee Eisenberg also appears as a character named Leigh Eisenberg. Other supporting roles include Izaac Wang as Soren, Millie Davis as Brixlee, Josh Caras as Benji, and Enid-Raye Adams as Thor’s mother. Alexander Calvert plays fraternity brother Daniel, and Stephen Merchant makes an uncredited appearance as Claude, the man who buys a sex doll from the boys.
What Works
The film is at its best when it focuses on the boys. Their arguments, their fears, and their loyalty to each other are genuine. The chase sequences are well-shot and energetic. The humor is mostly physical and situational, which lands better than the jokes that rely on dialogue.
Here is what stands out:
- The chemistry between Tremblay, Williams, and Noon.
- The mall chase sequence.
- The party scene.
- Forte’s performance as Max’s dad.
What Does Not Work
The film stumbles when it tries to be clever. Some jokes land flat, and the pacing drags in the middle. The plot is thin, and the stakes feel artificial. The ending wraps things up too quickly, without giving the audience time to sit with what happened.
The biggest problem is the mismatch between the characters and the material. Max, Lucas, and Thor are smart enough to know what they are doing is wrong, but the film treats them as innocent victims of circumstance. That tension never resolves, and it leaves the ending feeling hollow.
The Verdict
“Good Boys” is a flawed but entertaining comedy. It has a strong core of friendship and a sharp sense of timing. But it is also cynical about its own premise, and that cynicism leaks into the final act. The film is worth watching for the boys and their journey, but it is not a masterpiece.
It earns a 6 out of 10.
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