THE NICE GUYS: Shane Black’s Underrated Cult Classic | Cinema Shock Roulette

For this installment of Cinema Shock Roulette, we’re taking a dive into what might be Shane Black’s most overlooked gem: THE NICE GUYS.

 

Released in 2016, this hilarious and hardboiled detective flick pairs Ryan Gosling and Russell Crowe as mismatched investigators stumbling through a tangled conspiracy involving porn, pollution, and the auto industry — all set against the grimy backdrop of 1970s Los Angeles.

While this episode stands alone, it also serves as a spiritual epilogue to our Shane Black: Black Christmas series. If KISS KISS BANG BANG was the film that reignited Black’s career, THE NICE GUYS is the one that distilled his voice to its purest form: razor-sharp dialogue, bruised masculinity, and a real affection for Hollywood’s forgotten underbelly.

We’ll trace the film’s long road to production, the near-miss casting choices, its critical reception, and its cult status as one of the best buddy comedies of the 21st century.

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Theme Song: "There's Still a Little Bit of Time, If We Hurry and I Mean Hurry" by Slasher Film Festival Strategy.

This episode was written, produced and edited by Gary Horne, Justin Bishop, and Todd A. Davis.