The Nice Guys (2016)

The Nice Guys, directed by Shane Black, is a dark buddy comedy set in the smog-drenched streets of 1970s Los Angeles. Featuring a stellar pairing of Russell Crowe and Ryan Gosling, the film delivers a mix of noir mystery, slapstick humor, and biting social commentary — all wrapped in a groovy, pulp-inspired aesthetic.

Detailed Summary

Setting the Scene: 1977 Los Angeles

The movie opens with a surreal juxtaposition — a kid flipping through a porn magazine just as a porn star, Misty Mountains, crashes her car into his house and dies. From that moment, the film plunges into a world of seedy politics, missing persons, and conspiracy, all soaked in the glitz and sleaze of 1970s Hollywood.

The Unlikely Duo: March and Healy

Jackson Healy (Russell Crowe) is a tough-guy enforcer, the kind of man you hire to break someone’s arm. Holland March (Ryan Gosling) is a washed-up private eye, perpetually drunk and often incompetent, though surprisingly sharp when it counts. Their paths cross when Healy is hired to warn March off a case involving a missing girl named Amelia (Margaret Qualley).

Instead of going their separate ways, the two end up reluctantly working together when Amelia becomes the linchpin in a much larger conspiracy involving the porn industry, the Department of Justice, and a smog-emissions scandal.

A Case of Dead Ends and Clues

March and Healy follow a trail of bizarre clues that lead them from adult film sets to wild parties, and eventually to the revelation that Amelia was involved in making a pornographic film that also doubled as an exposé of corporate corruption. Her mother, Judith Kuttner (Kim Basinger), is a high-ranking official in the Department of Justice, and she wants to keep her daughter out of harm’s way — or so it seems.

As March’s precocious daughter, Holly (played delightfully by Angourie Rice), tags along, the plot thickens, with assassins like John Boy (Matt Bomer) entering the scene, and betrayals flying fast.

A Premiere to Die For

The film climaxes at an adult film premiere, where Amelia’s controversial film — which implicates car manufacturers in a cover-up of the deadly smog crisis — is about to be screened. Assassins are sent to destroy the evidence and kill Amelia.

Movie Ending

The ending of The Nice Guys is both chaotic and deeply satisfying. At the film premiere, Healy and March intervene to protect Amelia and prevent the destruction of the evidence. However, things spiral quickly. Amelia ends up dead — shot by John Boy — despite Healy and March’s efforts.

Yet all is not lost: Holly retrieves a copy of the film, and March manages to hide it. The damning reel is eventually passed to a journalist, meaning the conspiracy will come to light, even if justice for Amelia is never truly served.

In a quieter, character-driven epilogue, March and Healy sit in a bar, reflecting on what they’ve been through. They decide to team up permanently and form a detective agency: The Nice Guys. March, now sober (ish), is somewhat redeemed, while Healy gains a new sense of purpose.

It’s not a traditionally happy ending — Amelia is dead, the villains don’t all get punished, and corruption still lingers — but it fits the film’s bittersweet, noir-flavored tone.

Are There Post-Credits Scenes?

No, The Nice Guys does not feature any post-credits scenes. Once the credits roll, the story is officially over — a nod to the classic noir films it pays homage to, which rarely left dangling teases or cliffhangers.

Type of Movie

The Nice Guys is a neo-noir buddy comedy crime thriller. It blends sharp-witted humor with classic detective tropes, wrapped in 1970s aesthetics and an undercurrent of social satire.

Cast

• Ryan Gosling as Holland March
• Russell Crowe as Jackson Healy
• Angourie Rice as Holly March
• Matt Bomer as John Boy
• Margaret Qualley as Amelia Kuttner
• Kim Basinger as Judith Kuttner
• Yaya DaCosta, Beau Knapp, and Keith David in supporting roles

Film Music and Composer

The score was composed by John Ottman and David Buckley, blending 1970s funk, jazz, and rock influences. The soundtrack features era-defining hits that amplify the groovy and gritty mood, with tracks from Earth, Wind & Fire and The Temptations.

Filming Locations

• Atlanta, Georgia stood in for 1970s Los Angeles, thanks to generous tax incentives and the city’s flexible urban layout.
• Sets and backdrops were carefully dressed to replicate L.A.’s mid-century style, from Hollywood Hills homes to Sunset Strip lounges.
• Studio work helped recreate iconic L.A. landmarks — a testament to the production team’s attention to period detail.

Awards and Nominations

While critically acclaimed, The Nice Guys didn’t earn major award wins. It did, however, receive:

• Saturn Award nomination for Best Action or Adventure Film
• Best Screenplay nominations from several film critic circles
• High praise from critics, leading to cult status over time

Behind the Scenes Insights

• Shane Black wrote the original script back in 2001, but it was shelved until the buddy-comedy genre came back into vogue.
• Ryan Gosling improvised many of his comedic moments — especially the infamous “bathroom stall” scene.
• Crowe and Gosling had instant on-screen chemistry, despite having never worked together before.
• The film was a passion project for Black, whose love for noir is evident in every line and frame.

Inspirations and References

• Inspired heavily by classic noir detective fiction like The Big Sleep and Chinatown.
• Pays homage to the 1970s buddy cop subgenre — think Freebie and the Bean and The Long Goodbye.
• The smog plotline references real-life concerns about environmental regulation in 1970s California.

Alternate Endings and Deleted Scenes

• No alternate endings have been officially released, but the film originally featured more backstory on Healy’s past, which was cut to keep the pacing tight.
• Deleted scenes involving more slapstick elements and extended versions of March’s investigative failures were trimmed to maintain tonal balance.

Book Adaptations and Differences

The Nice Guys is not based on a book, but it plays like a loving parody and tribute to detective novels of the Raymond Chandler/Dashiell Hammett variety. Its structure mimics the literary noir formula while modernizing the character dynamics.

Memorable Scenes and Quotes

Key Scenes

• The bathroom gun-drop scene: March struggles hilariously with a stall door, gun, and cigarette.
• Healy throwing a body over the balcony — only for it to land right where he didn’t intend.
• Holly confronting a killer with childlike innocence and fierce morality.

Iconic Quotes

• March: “You know who else was just following orders? Hitler!”
• Healy: “Marriage is buying a house for someone you hate.”
• Holly: “Dad, there are whores here and stuff.”
• March (panicking): “I think I’m invincible! I don’t think I can die!”

Easter Eggs and Hidden Details

• The porn film in the plot is called “How Do You Like My Car, Big Boy?” — a cheeky jab at 1970s adult cinema titles.
• Healy reads Airport ’77, a real novel that became a cheesy disaster movie — a meta nod to ’70s culture.
• John Boy, the assassin, gets his name from The Waltons, referencing another clean-cut American character.

Trivia

• The script was almost adapted into a TV show before being greenlit as a film.
• The word “nice” is used ironically — neither of the protagonists are traditionally “nice.”
• Gosling performed many of his own pratfalls, including falling off a ledge and tumbling through glass.

Why Watch?

• For a crime-comedy that balances laugh-out-loud moments with genuine noir mystery.
• To witness Ryan Gosling in arguably one of his funniest, most underrated performances.
• If you’re into movies with razor-sharp dialogue, chaotic energy, and style to spare.
• Perfect for fans of buddy cop movies who want something a little darker, a little weirder, and a lot funnier.

Director’s Other Movies

• Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (2005)
• Iron Man 3 (2013)
• The Predator (2018)
• Lethal Weapon (1987) — as screenwriter

Recommended Films for Fans

• Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (2005)
• Inherent Vice (2014)
• Lethal Weapon (1987)
• Midnight Run (1988)
• Chinatown (1974)
• The Big Lebowski (1998)