One of the worst things about this whole situation is that “The Nice Guys” actually scored great reviews from critics upon its release. The movie boasts an excellent score of 91% on Rotten Tomatoes, with the critical consensus reading, “‘The Nice Guys’ hearkens back to the buddy comedies of a bygone era while adding something extra courtesy of a knowing script and the irresistible chemistry of its leads.” Established critics also had solid praise for the film; for New York Magazine, David Edelstein wrote, “‘The Nice Guys’ has a nice feel: just slick enough to keep from falling apart, just brutal enough to keep from seeming inconsequential.” Over at The New Yorker, Anthony Lane specifically praised Angourie Rice, who plays Holland’s smart, back-talking daughter Holly: “Why see this film? Partly because of the leading men, but mainly because of a girl.” NPR’s Scott Tobias appreciated the film’s chaotic feel and adherence to a classic Hollywood genre, writing, “It has the byzantine plot of an L.A. noir, but races through it with the breathless energy of Black’s other work.”
Unfortunately, studios largely care about box office wins, and “The Nice Guys” didn’t make a particularly big splash thanks to competitors like “Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising,” “Captain America: Civil War,” and, of course, “The Angry Birds Movie.” Though “The Nice Guys” seems like a classic example of a box office bomb — albeit a box office bomb totally worth watching — it did accomplish one thing by proving that Ryan Gosling has great comedic timing.