Netflix adds Ryan Gosling, Russell Crowe ‘Certified Fresh’ buddy cop movie that’s become a cult favorite

As it does at the start of each month, Netflix has added a bunch of movies to its streaming library today, February 1. There are plenty of intriguing titles to choose from, but the one that sticks out to me right away is The Nice Guys, the 2016 crime comedy starring Ryan Gosling and Russell Crowe that was critically lauded but flopped at the box office. But in the time since its release it has become a cult favorite and people are widely starting to view it as an underrated classic.

Directed by Shane Black, who also co-wrote the script with Anthony Bagarozzi, The Nice Guys follows two private investigators (Gosling and Crowe) in 1970s Los Angeles as they attempt to solve a pair of cases about a missing girl and a murdered porn star. Connecting them is a conspiracy that could impact the entire city.

The Nice Guys is “Certified Fresh” on Rotten Tomatoes with an impressive score of 91%. Despite that, the movie only made $71.2 million worldwide (per Box Office Mojo) on a $50 million budget. As Gosling mentioned in a 2024 interview, The Nice Guys unfortunately got bested by the Angry Birds animated movie and Captain America: Civil War in its opening weekend, which killed a lot of its momentum (and in Gosling’s view any hope for a sequel).

That’s why people need to take the opportunity to watch The Nice Guys on Netflix. The movie is becoming part of a major streaming platforms offerings again after a stint of only being available via digital on-demand platforms in the US (in the UK it has been streaming on MGM Plus). So with that ease of access, people will hopefully be more open to giving it a try (we named it as one our top 12 movies to stream in February)

If you do watch, what you’ll discover is that Gosling and Crowe have great chemistry, there's a mystery that is engaging to watch unfold and plenty of laughs courtesy of Black and Bagarozzi’s script. As Gosling said, any hope for a sequel is probably long gone at this point, but that doesn’t mean we don’t need to build a greater appreciation for The Nice Guys, as it definitely deserves it.

Watch The Nice Guys trailer below to get a sneak peek:

The Nice Guys - Main Trailer [HD] - YouTube

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You must be a Netflix subscriber to watch The Nice Guys on the streaming service. It will still be available to buy or rent via digital on-demand if you are not a Netflix subscriber.