Holland March and Jackson Healy a hired enforcer who hurts people for a living both investigate the apparent suicide of a fading porn star in 1970s Los Angeles.
Amid countless remakes like Vacation and sequels like Neighbors 2, which doggedly push for crude atmospheres, this film creates a world that's pure and naturally absurd.
From its opening shot, The Nice Guys charms with an exuberant commitment to cutting, panning, and switching between perspectives, establishing the pertinent plot with no filler.
Take two heavyweight Hollywood stars, cast them in a shaggy-dog story set in Los Angeles circa 1977 and assign a writer-director with a proven flair for madcap action comedy. Voila! It's time to get acquainted with The Nice Guys.
Chances are if you liked Kiss Kiss Bang Bang and similar slacker-neo-noir capers like The Big Lebowski (1998) and 2014's Inherent Vice, you'll be happy with The Nice Guys. Best enjoyed with tongue firmly in cheek.
You won't see Captain America and Iron Man squaring off at an airport, but you do get Russell Crowe breaking Ryan Gosling's arm and then cheerfully downing a Yoo-hoo.
There's just as many laughs as there are gunshots and Gosling's slapstick physicality and Crowe's wry dialogue bring some much-needed light to the dark.
For those attuned to its amiably sleazy vibe and sudden alternations between violence and slapstick, it offers a guiltily pleasurable way to pass an evening.
