Good Boys is 2019’s most surprisingly heartfelt raunchy comedy

Once you’ve gotten past the knee-jerk reaction of seeing children scream profanities, Good Boys is a surprisingly heartfelt (but still hilarious) movie.

Let’s get the obvious out of the way. Yes, Good Boys is a comedy with a hook that involves watching child actors get into R-rated shenanigans. Every last piece of marketing material for this film has likely drilled this concept into your brain, just as it did to ours. Does the movie bank on audiences seeing it for pure shock value? Yes.

However, once you’re in the theater, Good Boys delivers much more than what the marketing suggests. Beneath its hokey exterior lies an immensely heartfelt and genuinely funny gem of a film, which we think could turn out to be one of the sleeper comedies of 2019.

If you’re not familiar, Good Boys is a comedy about a trio of sixth graders — Max, Lucas, and Thor — who call themselves “the beanbag bros.” After the trio ends up accidentally crashing Max’s dad’s drone, they end up on a drug-fueled, sex-filled, uber-violent wild goose chase to find a way to fix it before his dad gets home.

The movie has exactly the kind of humor you would expect from a Seth Rogen-produced picture, so do with that information what you will. Though social media has already begun calling it a sort of “sixth grade Superbad,” we think Good Boys has a unique blend of comedy and charm that makes it a true rarity.

And let’s give credit where credit is due:Good Boys would be nowhere near as enjoyable as it is without the stellar performances from its three leads. Though child actors tend to get a bad rap, the main trio, which consists of Jacob Tremblay (Room), Brandy Noon, and Keith L. Williams, does an outstanding job of bringing their characters to life. They deliver their lines with comedic timing so good you’ll forget they’re children. And although there are many scenes were jokes could have fallen flat, the three are so committed to selling it that you can’t help but laugh.

While Tremblay and Noon are undeniably good, it’s Keith L. Williams who steals the show as the high-strung worrywart Lucas. His delivery is so good, in fact, that you’d think he gets some of his comedic talents from his onscreen parents, Retta and Lil Ray Howery, who both make the most of their brief appearances.

However, it’s not just their comedic talents that make the cast of Good Boys so impressive. Though the film gets a surprising amount of mileage out of the aforementioned “kids doing R-rated stuff” premise, Good Boys also has a very sweet and true-to-life message at its core. It’s a very surprising element when you look back at some of Rogen’s more famous work, but it’s much appreciated nonetheless.

Of course, Good Boys isn’t perfect. It has some issues with pacing, and the romantic subplot feels like a drag in comparison to the rest of the punchy comedic scenes. There are a few detours that aren’t funny enough to justify the amount of screentime they take up, and a majority of what would’ve been the film’s funniest moments are ruined for anybody who’s already seen the trailer.

However, at the end of the day, Good Boys‘ shortcomings aren’t nearly severe enough to detract from what is an otherwise exceedingly enjoyable outing. With an over-the-top premise, three strong leads, and a sincere emotional message, Good Boys is an undeniable win.

Have you seen Good Boys? What are your favorite R-rated comedies? Sound off in the comments below.