A perfect blend of comedy, action and mystery, The Nice Guys succeeds thanks to writer/director Shane Black’s expert filmmaking and the impressive performances from the dynamic duo of Russell Crowe and Ryan Gosling.

Combined with the soon to be released War on Everyone, and 2016 marks the revival of the buddy cop movie, that beloved sub-genre in which both Tango & Cash and Seven call home. A vital player to the sub-genre is of course Shane Black, the man who wrote Lethal Weapon and The Long Kiss Goodnight, and directed the vastly underseen and undervalued Kiss Kiss Bang Bang. Black returns with The Nice Guys, one of his stronger efforts as both screenwriter and director, that takes classic formula and makes it as fresh and entertaining as ever, in part thanks to a stale cinematic action movie environment dominated by superhero franchises and young adult adaptations.

Set in 1977 Los Angeles, The Nice Guys follows the story of gruff yet intelligent strongman for hire Jackson Healy (Russell Crowe) and bumbling yet brilliant private detective Holland March (Ryan Gosling), as they investigate the disappearance of a teenage girl who tumbled down the deep dark rabbit hole of the porn industry.   

Of course this being a Shane Black movie a conspiracy is always afoot, and it is written very well as Black and fellow screenwriter Anthony Bagarozzi delves into layer after layer of a nourish plot that although complex, is easy to digest thanks to Black’s slick handling of the material and the excellent performances of his cast.

This is especially true of Crowe and Gosling, the pair cracking wise and popping with electricity to make for a formidable and entertaining tandem. Of the two Gosling stands out, with his on point comedic chops (ranging from low key too over-the-top hilarious), and a truly sympathetic backstory as a grieving single father hustling to keep a roof over the head of his spirited and intelligent daughter (a scene stealing Angourie Rice). Crowe plays the hard hitting straight man in perfect counter to Gosling’s buffoon.

With his third stint as director, Black has found his niche in evoking great performances, and framing engrossing and entertaining stories. The conclusion of The Nice Guys hints at a sequel. Please let it happen.