Skip to content
Wherever I Look Logo

Wherever I Look

  • HomeExpand
    • About Wherever I LookExpand
      • Our Writers
    • Editorial Guidelines
    • Cookie & Privacy Policy
    • Contact Us
    • HTML Sitemap
  • TV Shows
  • Movies
  • Character Guide
  • Live Performances
  • Videos
Wherever I Look Logo
Wherever I Look

Home - Mixed (Divisive) - The Nice Guys – Overview/ Review (with Spoilers)

The Nice Guys – Overview/ Review (with Spoilers)

A colorful noir in which there is a lot of action, a slightly weak story, but the weak story is made up for by having the type of characters you would follow through a franchise. Rating: TV Viewing Trigger Warning(s): Blood (Gore) & Guns Characters Worth Noting Jackson Healy (Russell Crowe) | Holland March (Ryan…

ByAmari Allah Hours Posted onDecember 8, 2016 1:08 PMJuly 22, 2018 6:19 PM Hours Updated onJuly 22, 2018 6:19 PM

Spoiler Alert: This summary and review contains spoilers.


Additionally, some images and text may include affiliate links, meaning we may earn a commission or receive products if you make a purchase.



A colorful noir in which there is a lot of action, a slightly weak story, but the weak story is made up for by having the type of characters you would follow through a franchise.

Rating:
TV Viewing

Trigger Warning(s):
Blood (Gore) & Guns

Characters Worth Noting

Jackson Healy (Russell Crowe) | Holland March (Ryan Gosling) | Holly March (Angourie Rice) | Amelia Kuttner (Margaret Qualley)

Main Storyline (with Commentary)

It’s 1973 in Los Angeles and there is a two bit P.I. named Holland going around, pretty much scheming old women out of their money, and at the same time there is this man named Jackson who beats people up for a living. Not for the mob, not due to some warped sense of justice, but if you got the cash, he’ll beat that ass. Now, these two men find each other after a girl named Amelia pays Jack to beat up Holland. Which of course Jack does and with time Jack learns the reason Holland was chosen is because Amelia is on the run.

Leading to how these two become partners. Jack, after whooping ass and taking names for so long, he wants to have a purpose, he wants some sense of justice in his life, and while Holland often can be lazy, as his daughter Holly will attest to, he gets around to doing his job eventually. Thus leading these two to chasing down Amelia through parties, while dodging assassins, and all so they can get their hands on a porno Amelia made which has some damning evidence against the Auto companies. Which in the grand scheme of things may make you squint and go “What?” but with Amelia’s mom being the head of the Department of Justice, it makes Amelia more than a conspiracy theorist but someone who knows too damn much.

Review Summary

Highlights

The comedic duo of Crowe and Gosling was a surprise, but so well played. I honestly do believe, as the overview notes, these two could really make a go with this becoming a franchise. Hell, if either were TV actors, I’d think this would make a decent series on HBO, Starz, or what have you.

To my surprise, while Holly was annoying sometimes, like when she keeps Jack from killing someone, for the most part she doesn’t become some annoying little kid made to help flesh out Holland’s character. Yes, she does stick her nose into dangerous situations which is frustrating, but with her getting a chance to attack people, yet not appear like some killing or fighting machine, you get this weird new sort of character out of her. One which isn’t like Hit Girl from Kick Ass but not your usual damsel in distress/ liability either.

Low Points

By the time the film ends, you are honestly left feeling “That’s It?” Which comes from, not to spoil too much, you wondering what did Holland and Jack really accomplish? Add on an anti-climactic ending and it honestly leads you to believe that this movie perhaps would have been better to see if an audience would be interested in a show with these two than a 2-hour film.

On The Fence

The story itself is very weird and while it is good enough to justify the action and jokes, strip the film of those two things and the film seems almost barebones. Amelia knew about an Auto Industry scandal and decided to, alongside some “friends” make a porn which has this message in it. People are dying because the auto industry doesn’t want people to know about this part which would up their expenses, but keep the air cleaner. To me, considering all the death and mayhem of the movie, it seems like such an odd thing for so many to get killed over. Granted, the 1970s were a different time and maybe the Auto Industry at the time, or even now, had mobsters in the business protecting their interest, but if you really sit and think about what happened in the movie, it leaves you questioning far too much.


Follow/Subscribe To Our External Pages

  • YouTube
  • TikTok
  • Amazon
  • Google
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • X

Sending
User Review
0 (0 votes)

Listed Under Categories: Mixed (Divisive), Movies

Related Tags: Angourie Rice, Margaret Qualley, Russell Crowe, Ryan Gosling, The Nice Guys

Amari Allah

Amari is the founder and head writer of Wherever-I-Look.com and has been writing reviews since 2010, with a focus on dramas and comedies.

Facebook Instagram YouTube

Post navigation

Previous Previous
The Muppets: Season 1/ Episode 1 "Pig Girls Don’t Cry (Pilot)" – Overview/ Review (with Spoilers)
NextContinue
The Night Of: Season 1/ Episode 1 "Part 1: The Beach" [Series Premiere] – Overview/ Review (with Spoilers)

Site Pages

  • Home
  • About Wherever I Look
  • Contact Us
  • Cookie & Privacy Policy
  • Disclaimer & Disclosure Policy
  • Editorial Guidelines
  • HTML Sitemap
  • Our Writers
The Wherever I Look logo featuring a film reel, a video game controller, old school TV set, a stage, and more done by artist Dean Nelson.

The overall goal of Wherever I Look is to fill in that space between the average fan and critic and advise you on what’s worth experiencing.

Category Pages

  • Articles
  • Character Guide
  • Collected Quotes
  • Live Peformances
  • Movies
  • Our Latest Reviews
  • TV Series
  • Video Page
Scroll to top

Wherever I Look logo

Welcome to Wherever I Look, your go-to destination for insightful and personable reviews of the latest TV episodes, movies, and live performances. Also, dive into our character guides and discover what’s truly worth your time.

  • Home
    • About Wherever I Look
      • Our Writers
    • Editorial Guidelines
    • Cookie & Privacy Policy
    • Contact Us
    • HTML Sitemap
  • TV Shows
  • Movies
  • Character Guide
  • Live Performances
  • Videos
Search