Good Boys – WISE Score & Parent Review | Screenwise

Good Boys

Name: Screenwise
Author: Screenwise

movie2019Adventure, Comedy

22%

WISE Score

Avg. Tomatometer

R-rated comedy about 6th graders in wildly inappropriate situations—basically Superbad but somehow more uncomfortable because they're actual children.

6.7/10

81%

86%

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Good Boys

movie

R, 2019, Adventure, Comedy

22%

WISE Score

Avg. Tomatometer

R-rated comedy about 6th graders in wildly inappropriate situations—basically Superbad but somehow more uncomfortable because they're actual children.

6.7

81%

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6.7/10

81%

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Screenwise Verdict

Let's be crystal clear: this is NOT a kids' movie. Despite the title and the fact that it stars 6th graders, Good Boys is an R-rated comedy designed for adults who find humor in children accidentally navigating drug deals and sexual situations.

The 37% Rotten Tomatoes score tells you what you need to know about quality—even as adult comedy, it's mediocre. The shock value of 'kids saying/doing adult things' wears thin quickly, and what you're left with is a pretty forgettable comedy that's uncomfortable to watch because it features actual children.

If you're looking for genuinely good coming-of-age comedies, there are dozens of better options. This one's a hard pass for family viewing and barely worth it even for adults.

Age Fit

This is strictly an adult movie (18+) despite featuring child protagonists. The R-rating exists for a reason—this is not a family film, not a teen film, just adults-only comedy that happens to star kids in wildly inappropriate situations.

WISE Breakdown

Wholesome

This R-rated comedy features 6th graders in highly adult situations with crude humor, drug content, and sexual themes that completely undermine age-appropriate emotional development. The premise itself—kids carrying stolen drugs and being hunted—normalizes dangerous scenarios as comedy fodder.

Imaginative

The adventure premise has some creative energy and the fish-out-of-water setup of kids navigating adult situations shows narrative imagination. However, it leans heavily on shock value rather than genuine creative problem-solving or world-building.

Safe

This is an R-rated movie with drug content, sexual themes, and crude humor involving minors. The 37% Rotten Tomatoes critic score suggests quality concerns. While not surprising for an R-rated comedy, the content featuring actual children in these scenarios makes it particularly inappropriate for family viewing.

Enriching

While there may be themes of friendship and coming-of-age, they're buried under layers of inappropriate humor. The 6.7 IMDb rating and 60 Metacritic score suggest middling entertainment value with limited meaningful takeaways beyond shock laughs.

Parent Info

✓

Why It Might Be Great

If you're an adult who enjoys cringe comedy and can separate fiction from reality, there might be some laughs here
The friendship dynamic between the three boys could resonate if you can get past everything else
Some adults appreciate the subversive humor of kids innocently stumbling through adult scenarios

⚠

What to Watch For

This is absolutely NOT a kids' movie despite featuring kids—it's R-rated for very good reasons
Drug content, sexual themes, and crude humor throughout
The 37% critic score suggests even as adult comedy it's pretty mediocre
Zero educational or developmental value for actual children

Conversation Starters

"This one's not for family movie night, but if you watched it: Why do you think Hollywood keeps making R-rated comedies about kids?"
"What's the difference between comedy that's actually subversive versus just being crude for shock value?"
"When does 'coming of age' humor cross the line into just being inappropriate?"

Stills