This Movie Killed The Nice Guys 2, According To Ryan Gosling
Because pop culture seems to go around in circles, fans who love movies that came out years prior sometimes start to wonder if those films — whether they're cult classics or blockbuster favorites — might get a sequel. According to Ryan Gosling, fans of the 2016 noir comedy "The Nice Guys" could be waiting forever, thanks to a very different movie that derailed it at the box office.
"The Nice Guys," directed by auteur Shane Black ("Iron Man 3," "The Predator," "Kiss Kiss Bang Bang") and co-written with Anthony Bagarozzi, centers around Jackson Healy and Holland March — played by Russell Crowe and Ryan Gosling, respectively — a mob hitman and a private eye, respectively. While Holland is investigating a missing girl, a girl named Amelia Kuttner (Margaret Qualley) hires Jackson to scare the detective away, which only leads to the two teaming up when Amelia also goes missing. The movie is hilarious, sharp, and proves that Crowe and Gosling have incredibly comedic chemistry together. So why won't there be a sequel? According to Gosling's recent interview with ComicBook.com, it all came down to one of its box office rivals.
"So much of a sequel, I think, is decided by the opening weekend of a movie, and we opened up against ['The Angry Birds Movie']," Gosling told the outlet. "So 'Angry Birds' just, just destroyed us."
Gosling was also quick to point out that at least one of these films got a second outing: "Angry Birds got a sequel."
The Nice Guys earned rave reviews from critics — but underperformed at the box office
One of the worst things about this whole situation is that "The Nice Guys" actually scored great reviews from critics upon its release. The movie boasts an excellent score of 91% on Rotten Tomatoes, with the critical consensus reading, "'The Nice Guys' hearkens back to the buddy comedies of a bygone era while adding something extra courtesy of a knowing script and the irresistible chemistry of its leads." Established critics also had solid praise for the film; for New York Magazine, David Edelstein wrote, "'The Nice Guys' has a nice feel: just slick enough to keep from falling apart, just brutal enough to keep from seeming inconsequential." Over at The New Yorker, Anthony Lane specifically praised Angourie Rice, who plays Holland's smart, back-talking daughter Holly: "Why see this film? Partly because of the leading men, but mainly because of a girl." NPR's Scott Tobias appreciated the film's chaotic feel and adherence to a classic Hollywood genre, writing, "It has the byzantine plot of an L.A. noir, but races through it with the breathless energy of Black's other work."
Unfortunately, studios largely care about box office wins, and "The Nice Guys" didn't make a particularly big splash thanks to competitors like "Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising," "Captain America: Civil War," and, of course, "The Angry Birds Movie." Though "The Nice Guys" seems like a classic example of a box office bomb — albeit a box office bomb totally worth watching — it did accomplish one thing by proving that Ryan Gosling has great comedic timing.
The Nice Guys proved Ryan Gosling has comedic chops – and Barbie confirmed it
Years after "The Nice Guys," Ryan Gosling's brought his unwavering commitment to the proverbial bit to "Saturday Night Live," at which point writer-director Greta Gerwig realized she needed to cast him in her forthcoming "Barbie" movie. The rest is history. Alongside Margot Robbie as Stereotypical Barbie — who embarks on a journey of self-actualization after "glitching" in the perfect utopia of Barbie Land — Gosling infuses Ken with both enthusiasm and desperation in equal measure. As narrator Helen Mirren tells audiences when Ken first appears on screen, "Barbie has a great day every day, but Ken only has a great day if Barbie looks at him."
Armed with intense Kenergy, Gosling more or less steals the entire movie out from Robbie. After joining her during her journey to the real world, he discovers patriarchy and decides to bring the concept in Barbie Land before Barbie returns. He becomes obsessed with horses, "brewski beers," and mini-fridges. He realizes patriarchy doesn't have a whole lot to do with horses and loses interest. Along the way, he performs a stunning dream ballet (surrounded by countless other Kens). Gosling's work is so extraordinary that he earned an Oscar nomination for best supporting actor — though he ultimately lost to fellow Shane Black collaborator Robert Downey Jr. for his performance in "Oppenheimer" — and blew the roof off of the Dolby Theatre with his live performance of "I'm Just Ken." Gosling's performance in "The Nice Guys" walked so that Ken could run directly into a plastic wave in "Barbie," so in the end, maybe we don't need a sequel after all.