An indie coming-of-age movie, Good Kids follows four incredibly smart best friends as they spend the summer after graduation making up for all the fun they missed in high school, which basically amounts to drinking, drugs, and sex. A lot of it.
Indie coming-of-age is my favorite genre of film. I have no idea why, but I’ve finally accepted and embraced it, so get ready for a lot of reviews in that area. This film was exactly what I expected it to be: over-the-top, adorably cliché, and lots of fun. The actors in it were great, though I found it odd that all of the 18-year-old characters were 20/21 in real life except for one guy who was 27. You could kind of tell. I also couldn’t get over the fact that the 27-year-old was one of the kids from Sky High.
That aside, I enjoyed the plot with its predictable twists and charming moments, even if it did leave some holes and was, at times, not even remotely believable. It was a movie made for kids who spent their time on academics. The loser smart kids go to some parties and get really good at sex and drinking, only to be told later that everyone always liked them, they were the ones who alienated themselves. While I think that’s usually true to an extent, smart kids are weird. And would definitely not have that high of an alcohol tolerance.
This film reminded me of a John Hughes film. You get exactly what you’re expecting from it, but somehow it still doesn’t disappoint. Bright colors, snappy dialogue, situations you know would never happen but the kid in you still kind of hopes they will… all the hallmarks of a great coming-of-age movie. I’m excited for Chris McCoy‘s next projects. (Also, I think Zoey Deutch will be one to watch. She’s got a lot of promise.)
If you’re looking for a mindless but adorable movie to watch on Netflix, or you just really want to see one of the kids from Sky High playing pretty much the same character he played thirteen years ago, watch Good Kids. I can’t say you won’t regret it, but I loved it.
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