By Robert Scucci
| Published
You can never go wrong with a witty, fast-paced buddy cop comedy, and the resounding success of last year’s Deadpool & Wolverine proves that the tried-and-true formula is even capable of breathing new life into the MCU that so desperately needed a win. But sometimes a flawless buddy comedy like 2016’s The Nice Guys slips through the cracks because of its box office competition (even if it happens to be The Angry Birds Movie), making it a financial flop despite its 91 percent critical score on Rotten Tomatoes, and we have Netflix to thank for beaming this Ryan Gosling and Russell Crowe-starring comedy of errors into our eyeballs.
Set in 1977 Los Angeles, and absolutely dripping with style and charisma (or “rizz,” as the kids call it these days), The Nice Guys belongs up there in the buddy cop comedy rankings with franchises like Lethal Weapon, Bad Boys, and Rush Hour if I had to weigh in, and it’s a shame that its open-ended conclusion will likely never materialize into a sequel, given the fact it only brought in $62 million against its reported production budget of $50 million.
The Odd Couple Takes The Case
The Nice Guys sees a reluctant partnership between Holland March (Ryan Gosling) and Jackson Healy (Russell Crowe), two lone wolves who would have never in a million years crossed paths if they weren’t looking for the same person of interest, Ameilia Kuttner (Margaret Qualley).
Holland is a talented investigator, but he has a tendency to bleed his clients dry by prolonging his investigations so he can get extra payments for his time. He also has a drinking problem that would make Charles Bukowski proud, which causes issues at home, as his habit doesn’t exactly make him father of the year in the eyes of his daughter, Holly (Angourie Rice).
Russell Crowe’s Jackson Healy, on the other hand, is a no BS enforcer and a creature of routine who will complete jobs for his clients by any means necessary, so long as they’re good for payment.
When Holland’s investigation of murdered porn star Misty Mountains (Murielle Telio) leads him to Amelia in The Nice Guys, Amelia pays Jackson to beat him into submission so he stops trailing her. What Jackson doesn’t know, however, is that Ameila is being hunted down by two goons known as “Blueface” (Beau Knapp) and “Older Guy” (Keith David), who confront him at his office to get information about the frightened young woman, who’s caught in the middle of a grand conspiracy involving the suspicious death of Misty Mountains.
Knowing that Holland’s ongoing investigation may shed some light on the mystery, Jackson, against his better judgment, makes amends with the drunkard, and the two team up to solve the biggest case of their respective careers.
Equal Parts Mystery and Comedy of Errors
The second Holland and Jackson put their heads together in The Nice Guys, they uncover what’s really at stake, with disastrous consequences. While they both know that Misty Mountains and Ameila were working on an experimental film that combines investigative journalism and smut, which has the potential to incriminate a number of powerful people who don’t want the tape to see the light of day, they need to find out who else is involved with the film’s production to get the answers they’re looking for.
Things go off the rails quickly, however, as this dynamic duo’s investigation often gets pushed forward after Holland drunkenly slips (or falls several stories) into evidence that leads them to the startling revelations they need to make. Fueled almost entirely by liquor, Holland stumbles through the investigation while having occasional moments of brilliance that impress Jackson, who more often than not has to be the muscle of the operation because his new partner’s intel often leads them into elaborate ambushes that neither of them are expecting.
Streaming The Nice Guys On Netflix
The Nice Guys takes the buddy cop formula and executes it to perfection thanks to Russell Crowe and Ryan Gosling’s natural on-screen chemistry, which never once seems phoned in. Each and every time Holland chases the bottle, he inadvertently finds himself chasing leads that he clearly can’t pursue on his own, and requires a bruiser like Jackson on his side when things get dicey. Jackson, who by all accounts is cold and calculating while working as a solo practitioner, can’t help but be astonished by Holland’s investigative talents, even if the latter’s misguided behavior causes more collateral damage than you could ever possibly imagine.
Boasting an unthinkable amount of laughs per minute, The Nice Guys is currently streaming on Netflix, and will soon become your favorite buddy comedy upon viewing if it’s your first time giving it a go.
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