SXSW 2019 Review: GOOD BOYS: If You Like South Park, You’ll Like This

I think I’ve been wanting another South Park movie for at least ten years now. Little did I know that I was going to get exactly what I wanted, just as a live-action film produced by Seth Rogen.

Good Boys is a film that challenges our standards of how far a comedy can go, by integrating adult-oriented profanity with kids. Mind you, these kids are technically not old enough to watch their own movie. Starring Jacob Tremblay (from Room), Brady Noon, and Keith L. Williams, the film follows three boys (also known as The Beanbag Boys) who go on a wild journey of drugs, cops, teenagers, and bad decisions… all for a kissing party that they really want to go to.

Profanity vs The Naivety of Children

There’s only one reason why the comedy in Good Boys works: the kids don’t know what they don’t know. Even though the film relies on the gimmick of having us laugh simply because kids are swearing left and right, a lot of the humor stems from them being oblivious to the subject matter they’re talking about or the thing they’re dealing with. There’s an overwhelming sense of dramatic irony at play here, where the audience knows more than the characters do. It makes for good comedy but also good tension.

Seeing the three 6^th grade boys butt heads with two college girls (played perfectly by Molly Gordon and Midori Francis) is the absolute highlight of the film.

Think of the South Park episode “The Return of the Fellowship of the Ring to the Two Towers,” where Stan, Kyle, and Cartman had no idea they were carrying a pornographic tape the entire time. From the panic of their parents to the hilarious moment where Token claps out, that episode was filled with dramatic irony.

The same case will be argued here. Good Boys consistently involves the three boys not understanding what’s beyond their scope and valuing things that are completely meaningless from an adult’s point of view. Since they pretend they know everything (because every kid does), they end up looking adorably immature when they make the most nonsensical decisions.

Excellent Performances, with a Dash of Sweetness

Man, these kids have potty mouths, but I’d argue the film delicately balances the profane with the adorable. We hear Tremblay’s character say things we never want a 12-year -old to say, but Tremblay himself retains the innocence, the curiosity, and the drive of a child. Noon, who is definitely playing the “Cartman” role of the three boys, may be the most vulgar but is also the most vulnerable of the three – unsure of who he wants to be, due to peer pressure. Williams, on the other hand, steals the entire movie. Channeling a mix of South Park’s Butters and Stranger Things’ Dustin, Williams finds the perfect balance of being the group’s moral compass and getting the group into trouble by spilling the beans too much.

And just when the jokes are wearing off, Good Boys takes a turn and becomes more than just a gimmick movie. It takes a moment to acknowledge the friendship of these three boys, while admitting to the reality that they will eventually grow up to form their own interests and hobbies. The last 20 minutes certainly flirt at a different film I’d be interested in seeing.

Good Boys: Not for Everyone, But It Works

Good Boys is not for everyone, for it is messy and repetitive in what it’s doing, but it is also exceptionally funny, charming, and thoughtful. Even though its characters say mean things, the film itself never takes a mean-spirited stance. The Beanbag Boys are vulgar but never morally reprehensible. That’s because the film remembers that at the end of the day, it’s still about boys being boys, who will eventually grow up. It almost makes all the raunchy shenanigans that happen more funny and accessible.

If you enjoy the early seasons of South Park, where the premises are all about kids having to deal with things they shouldn’t know about at their age, you will enjoy this.

Did you see Good Boys at SXSW? What did you think of the film? Share below!

Good Boys premiered at SXSW on March 11, 2019. It will be released in theaters in the US on August 16, 2019. For all international release dates, click here.