The Nice Guys Turns 10: They Still Aren’t That Nice

“So you’re telling me you made a porno where the point is the plot?”

The buddy-cop genre plays a top tier role in the film industry. Everyone loves a good buddy-cop movie! There’s the traditional oldies, like Beverly Hills Cop, Rush Hour, and Lethal Weapon, with stars like Eddie Murphy, Mel Gibson, and Jackie Chan. Then theres some new aged stuff like The Other Guys, The Heat, and 21 Jump Street. Will Ferrell, Melissa McCarthy, and Channing Tatum all bring the humor and hilarity to what we know and love—two strangers forced to work together, usually trying to redeem themselves. The buddy-cop trope has lasted generations of film making, and boy oh boy is it here to stay. We’ve seen it before, and we’ll for sure see it again.

My favorite buddy-cop movie? It’s The Nice Guys. When I first saw this movie, Ryan Gosling was so funny that I was crying with laughter. If you haven’t seen The Nice Guys before, well, what are you doing here? Go watch it right now. I’m serious—this movie is turning 10 this year and we need to celebrate how underrated The Nice Guys is.

*Since this film is R-rated, for obvious reasons, this post will be using explicit language*

F*CK ANGRY BIRDS

When The Nice Guys was released into theatres on May 20th, 2016, it faced it’s toughest opponent yet. The movie may show Ryan Gosling and Russell Crowe beating up every bad guy imaginable, driving cool cars, solving crimes, shooting guns, and yet, nothing can compare to the devastation of The Angry Birds Movie. Released on the exact same day, The Nice Guys never got the initial credit they deserved because they were getting torn to pieces, just like those evil little piggies. The cult following only came after people started realizing just how hilarious and timeless The Nice Guys is.

For those of us who have been following Ryan Gosling’s filmography for a decade now, we know that he’s not afraid to mention his beef with The Angry Birds Movie. It’s really just an ironic and amusing thing, because for those who have seen The Nice Guys, it just seems to typical for Holland and Healy to be at the top of their game, only to get beaten out by some birds.

It’s been ten years now since the wrath of The Angry Birds Movie, and I think it’s high time we give a little love to The Nice Guys, don’t you agree? Really, what’s not to like about watching two private detectives in the 70s working together to figure out the mysterious death and car crash of a porn star?

“How do you like my car, big boy?”

DON’T SAY ‘AND STUFF’. JUST SAY, ‘DAD, THERE’S WHORES HERE’

The Nice Guys has an A-list cast that’ll have you scratching you head and wondering, wait, I’ve seen that person before! Obviously, with stars like Ryan Gosling as Holland March and Russell Crowe as Jack Healy, you’ve got to be wondering, how have I never heard of this movie? (Curse you, angry birds). The film also stars Angourie Rice, Margaret Qualley, and Matt Bomer—just some household names you might recognize!

Like most buddy-cop movies, the plot starts with a small conflict that the main characters unknowingly step into. From there, that small conflict slowly reveals itself to become some sinful and sinister underground evilness that needs to be stopped. To sum it up, you go from a minuscule meet-cute to an absolute dumpster fire.

In The Nice Guys, March and Healy have to figure out why the death of porno actress Misty Mountains seems to be connected to another young girl named Amelia. They agree to work together, and quickly have to adjust to one another’s work ethics. Rock, meet bottom. Or in this case, diligent Healy gets to meet drinking-problems March and his young daughter, Holly.

THE WORLD’S WORST TEAM OF DETECTIVES

It’s always amusing to watch two people who shouldn’t work well together actually have some of the best physical comedy, banter, and teamwork that you’ve seen. Putting it as ‘the best’ when it comes to Healy and March might actually be a stretch, because those two aren’t the best at anything. But, you can count on them to get the job done.

The Nice Guys is my go-to movie for everything. Need a pick me up and want a laugh? Want to impress someone with your impeccable movie taste? Looking for a movie to watch for the first time? This is the one, I’m telling you. I can’t even begin to list every line of this movie that makes me laugh, it’s just too many.

After it’s tragic box-office beginning, let’s give The Nice Guys some extra love this year as it turns 10 years old. You only hit double digits once!

Holland March: “Look on the bright side. Nobody got hurt”
Jackson Healy: “People got hurt”
Holland March: “I’m saying, I think they died quickly. So I don’t think they got hurt“

The Nice Guys is currently available to rent on most streaming services!