The Nice Guys 4K UHD Review: The Best Buddy Cop Movie in Years

Shane Black’s The Nice Guys was one of those films that took a giant swing, and audiences – for some reason – decided to completely overlook it during its theatrical run. Black, known best for his work on the Lethal Weapon franchise, crafted one of the most intelligent and politically incorrect buddy cop movies to be released in years with two actors who never worked together and – from a distance – seemed like interesting choices to pair together. But the chemistry between the two is dynamic and there seems to be more that Black wants to do after this initial film. But the likelihood of that appears to be less with each passing year, which is unfortunate.

Set in the post-Nixon 1970s Los Angeles, Holland March (Gosling) is a private eye hired by Mrs. Glenn (Lois Smith) to investigate the disappearance of her niece, a porn star by the name of Misty Mountains. The only problem is, Misty Mountains was found dead in a car crash a few days prior. But Mrs. Glenn is certain that she saw her niece, and Holland decides to take on the case. This leads him to discovering more about a girl named Amelia (Margaret Qualley), who may have a connection to Misty. Amelia fears her life is in danger when she realizes Holland is following her, and she hires an enforcer named Jackson Healy (Crowe) to handle Holland.

What is supposed to be a one and done interaction between Jackson and Holland ends up becoming a partnership, when Jackson’s apartment is raided by two thugs also looking for Amelia. Despite Holland having a few broken bones from Jackson, the two decide to partner together to look more into the case. And with this being Hollywood, there are plenty of underground secrets that spring to light involving drugs, porn stars, dirty politicians, and auto dealers.

Though released in 2016, The Nice Guys feels like it came straight from the ’70s era of filmmaking with its gritty and unapologetic approach. Gosling and Crowe have never been funnier, and both of their bumbling personas bring a smile to the viewer’s face that never leaves. Tackling the subjects of that decade, such as Nixon’s resignation and “die-in” protests about pollution, there is still a sense of relevancy with the movie and how it connects the events of that time frame with similar ones happening in the modern era. At times, it is bleak and more violent than one may anticipate. But it also has some instantly quotable lines about marriage being about “buying a house for someone you hate,” or if you’re near death, Nixon appears before you.

The 4K release of The Nice Guys does a great job of transferring the picture to a UHD format, but it doesn’t add anything new in terms of special features. There are only two from the Blu-ray release that make it on here. But if you want to double dip for the 4K, you can’t go wrong with the image and sound quality.

In a time when blockbuster hits are overrun with family-friendly IP, it’s a wonder if there will ever be another era when an adult film like The Nice Guys will attract a massive crowd and usher in more stories to tell with this bumbling duo or others like them. I’d love to see more with Holland and Jackson, but the creative powers that be haven’t made that possible due to the box-office tally of this one. Here’s to hoping more people grow to love this movie and we get more like it.