Barbie fans urged to watch Ryan Gosling in hilarious underseen action comedy

Stephen Porzio

The crime film gem has developed a legion of devoted fans in recent years, even sparking talks of a sequel.

Ryan Gosling has been in the news of late, thanks to securing an Oscar nomination for his against type comedic turn in blockbuster smash hit Barbie.

But this wasn’t the first time that the actor subverted the cool guy image he cultivated with the likes of Drive, The Place Beyond the Pines and La La Land.

He also delivered a similarly hilarious performance to his Ken turn in Barbie in 2016 buddy action comedy The Nice Guys.

Set in Los Angeles in the ’70s, the movie focuses on a bumbling and very down-on-his-luck private eye (Gosling) and a tough enforcer for hire (Russell Crowe) who despite clashing at first, wind up teaming together to investigate the disappearance of a teenage girl (Margaret Qualley).

Co-written and directed by Shane Black (Lethal Weapon, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang), The Nice Guys’ stylish period setting and witty screenplay, along with Gosling’s lovably eccentric character and the actor’s incredible comic timing, led it to earn a 91% Rotten Tomatoes score.

You can watch one of Gosling funniest scenes from the film right here:

It must be said though that despite the critical acclaim, The Nice Guys was less successful financially upon its initial release, grossing only $62.8 million on a $50 million budget.

That being said, the movie has developed a legion of cult fans over the years – many of whom came out of the woodwork to raise its profile after Gosling’s Barbie acclaim.

You can see some tweets about this topic right here:

It’s very exciting to see Ryan Gosling get all this praise for his performance in BARBIE, but if you want to see Gosling deliver a true masterclass in comedy then I highly recommend THE NICE GUYS. I’ve always maintained it’s one of Gosling’s best performances. It’s also a banger. pic.twitter.com/CtQnsNsM8I

— Dan Marcus (@Danimalish) July 10, 2023

If you enjoyed Ryan Gosling in Barbie and haven’t seen The Nice Guys I highly recommend it. He’s hilariously energetic and delightful with some similar vibes to his work as Ken. Another brilliant performance. pic.twitter.com/T8CRg8QlWT

— Maxwell “Swell” Haddad (@cinemaxwell) July 21, 2023

ryan gosling barbie this ryan gosling barbie that now i need u all to watch this masterpiece of a movie thats called the nice guys starring ryan gosling and russell crowe pic.twitter.com/yqu7PEbZd1

— eden (@ednamcde) June 30, 2022

here’s how the ryan gosling renaissance from barbie will help us generate momentum for a nice guys sequel pic.twitter.com/jDOV588yhI

— grave (@mitthrawnu) June 28, 2023

In recent years, there has even been talk of a sequel to The Nice Guys.

Asked about the possibility during an interview with KFC Radio last year, co-star Crowe said he and Gosling had even come up with a title for a potential follow-up that made them “laugh”.

“I don’t know what this means. I don’t know what the plot is. Don’t ask me for any details,” he explained.

“But if we were going to do a second one, we wanted to call it: Nice Guys: Mexican Detectives.

“It’s me, Ryan. Somehow we’ve got to pretend we’re Mexican detectives.”

Crowe was also full of praise for Gosling, calling him “one of the greatest comedians” he has ever met. The Oscar-winner said that while he prides himself on being able to stay focused while filming scenes, Gosling often made him corpse.

“He can just wind me up. He can get me, not just laughing, he gets me giggling like I’m in f*****g primary school,” he said.

“He is so absurd, his humour, and his timing is so beautiful.”

The Nice Guys is available to rent in Ireland and the UK on Apple TV, Google Play, Microsoft, Rakuten TV and the Sky Store.

Read more: