There is something inherently appealing about a movie that actually understands what it feels like to be young, stupid, full of impossible dreams, and absolutely convinced that nothing can stop you. Nimrods is, in many ways, the cinematic equivalent of that feeling. It is messy, occasionally ridiculous, undeniably predictable, and fueled almost entirely by the kind of reckless optimism that only seems possible when you are seventeen years old.
The strangest thing about Nimrods, however, is the fact that it is technically a Green Day movie that isn’t actually about Green Day. Written and directed by Lee Kirk, inspired by the band’s early years, and developed with Billie Joe Armstrong, Mike Dirnt, and Tré Cool, the film takes stories and anecdotes from the band’s early days and spins them into a fictional coming-of-age road comedy. It is a strange concept on paper: a Green Day movie inspired by Green Day, made with Green Day, featuring Green Day, but ultimately about three completely fictional teenagers. Thankfully, it works more often than it doesn’t.
The film follows Tommy (Mason Thames), Fred (Kylr Coffman), and Chad (Ryan Foust), three teenage musicians who make up the wonderfully named Analog Dogs. Tommy is the determined leader, Chad is the nervous nerd of the group, and Fred is the walking disaster with dyed green hair and absolutely no filter. Their chemistry is easily the best thing about the movie, with the three actors creating a believable friendship filled with genuine affection, constant bickering, and the kind of juvenile stupidity that feels remarkably authentic.
After Green Day comes to town for a record store signing, the boys attempt to get their demo into the hands of their idols. They eventually meet the band, only to discover that their heroes aren’t exactly taking Analog Dogs seriously. Then Tommy’s older brother Wayne (Keen Ruffalo) and his buddy Keith (Ignacio Diaz-Silverio) pull a prank that convinces the boys that Green Day actually wants them to open their New Year’s Eve concert in Los Angeles.
Naturally, they steal a car and hit the road. From Kansas City to Los Angeles, Nimrods becomes a classic teenage road movie, complete with broken-down vehicles, lost phones, questionable decisions, angry siblings, bizarre strangers, drugs, parties, a battle of the bands, and plenty of profanity-laden screaming. The screenplay isn’t exactly reinventing the coming-of-age formula, and some of the jokes are decidedly hit-or-miss. There is a lot of juvenile humor, a lot of expletives, and a lot of boys making incredibly dumb decisions. But that’s also clearly part of the movie’s charm.
Kirk (Ordinary World) clearly understands the classic movies he's trying to emulate. The Goonies, The Breakfast Club, Footloose, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, and more are all part of the film’s DNA, while the influence of Green Day’s own early years gives the story its musical backbone. Kirk also makes an interesting choice to set the movie in the present while filling it with analog technology: camcorders, cassette recorders, old cars, and other objects that make the film feel like it could exist somewhere outside of a specific time period.
That lived-in quality is particularly effective during the movie’s best sequences. Nimrods genuinely understands DIY punk culture. The small venues, grimy parties, garage rehearsals, skaters, weirdos, outcasts, and kids finding their people through music all feel authentic. Movies and television have a tendency to completely misunderstand what alternative music scenes actually look and feel like, but Nimrods thankfully avoids that trap. There is a genuine sense of community here, and the movie’s enthusiasm for that world is infectious.
The Analog Dogs' actual performances are highlights, as is the increasingly ridiculous stretch involving Fred Armisen as a motel owner whose establishment was supposedly built at the nexus of three different insane asylums. The film could honestly use more of the particular brand of comedic absurdity that occurs during this segment. There are also a number of fun cameos from star performers like Bobby Lee, Sean Gunn, Jenna Fischer, and Angela Kinsey, all of whom seem to understand exactly what kind of movie they’re in and simply have fun with their limited screen time.
Kylr Coffman (The Gates) is especially great as Fred, frequently stealing the movie with his unpredictably endearing energy. Thames (Idiots, The Black Phone), meanwhile, gives Tommy enough sincerity to keep the character from becoming just another teenage movie archetype. His relationship with his older brother Wayne eventually leads to a heart-to-heart that doesn’t quite land because the movie hasn’t spent enough time developing their relationship, but Thames makes the most of it.
Unfortunately, Nimrods does begin to run out of gas during its lengthy middle stretch. The road trip becomes a series of increasingly predictable obstacles, and the detour involving Olivia (McKenna Grace), a fellow musician and skater who catches Tommy’s attention, ultimately feels more distracting than necessary by the end of it all. The inevitable breakup between the friends and subsequent reconciliation also arrives exactly when you expect it to. At over an hour and forty minutes, the movie could probably have benefited from trimming some of these detours.
Still, there is enough genuine heart here to make the journey worthwhile. And for Green Day fans, the destination is exactly what you’re hoping for: the story eventually arrives at the Hollywood Palladium, where everything culminates in a massive and exciting Green Day concert. The soundtrack is predictably packed with the band’s music, and the film understands that these songs aren’t merely background noise. They represent the dreams of these kids and the multiple generations of fans who grew up believing that music could change their lives.
That is ultimately what Nimrods gets right. Beneath the barrage of juvenile jokes and increasingly ridiculous road-trip hijinks is a sweet little movie about taking chances, finding your people, and refusing to give up on something just because everyone else thinks you’re being ridiculous.
It may not always know exactly where it’s going or how to get there, but Nimrods contains enough genuine punk rock spirit and affection to make the trip worthwhile. The archival footage of Green Day’s early years that plays during the credits drives the point home beautifully: these three fictional kids aren’t so different from the young musicians who once packed themselves into vans, played tiny venues, and dreamed about becoming something bigger. Nimrods captures that feeling of being young and dumb and completely convinced that you and your friends' band could be the next big thing. Sometimes that’s all you need, and even in these trying times, Nimrods makes the case for that being more than enough.
'Nimrods' is now playing in theaters.
