Good Boys (2019) * *

Directed by:  Gene Stupnitsky

Starring:  Jacob Tremblay, Molly Gordon, Will Forte, Brady Noon, Keith L. Williams

It's refreshing that the Good Boys of the title don't turn into bad boys.    They mostly retain their innocence and naivete.    Thank goodness.   They encounter S & M paraphernalia, drugs, and porn, but still manage to come out no worse for wear (as do we), which is good.   The kids have plenty of time to learn about such things.  

Did I laugh in Good Boys?   A few times, but not enough to recommend it.    The "good boys" Max (Tremblay), Thor (Noon), and Lucas (Williams) swear and are naturally curious about grown-up stuff, but this isn't done for shock value.    Children that age learned cuss words years ago, and they flow effortlessly from their lips.    Except maybe for Lucas, the goody two shoes of the trio.    Max is the de facto leader and Thor is the poor guy whose parents engage in S & M, although these acts are unseen. 

The gags become repetitive.    The boys encounter adult items and mistake them for toys, jewelry, you name it.    In some cases, they learn the items' function and are grossed out or scream in horror.   There is a scene in which the boys enter a frat house to conduct a drug deal, and the entire scene is icky.   When dealing with this type of material, it is best to know there is a fine line between funny and downright unseemly.   

The plot of Good Boys is the boys' quest to buy and replace a drone belonging to Max's father, who went away on business for a few days.   If they are unable to replace the drone, Max will surely be grounded and be forced to miss an upcoming kissing party.   Drones are sold at the mall four miles away, and the guys cut school to walk there, encountering different obstacles along the way.   Some of it is amusing, more of it is ho-hum.   Tremblay proves, as he did in Room and Wonder, that can maturely deal with adult themes thrust his way even though he is not even a teen yet.    Noon and Williams are likable also.   Good Boys maintains a certain sweetness despite the adult humor, but the results of combining kids who don't know any better with clearly grown up themed bits are mixed at best.