Warning: Spoilers ahead.
1,618 miles. That’s how far three high school boys drove in a yellow taxi cab to chase their punk rock dreams.
Director Lee Kirk’s comedy film “Nimrods” hit theaters Aug. 14. The film follows the Analog Dogs, a Kansas City, Kansas high school punk rock band roadtripping to Los Angeles after it finds out it will be opening for Green Day on New Year’s Eve. Inspired by Green Day’s early days on the road, “Nimrods” is a nostalgic road trip for audiences to rediscover their teenage years and reflect on what it’s like to chase a dream.
The prologue starts with Green Day’s drummer, Tré Cool, calling the young band and inviting it to play at their concert. That exciting opportunity becomes a chaotic-coming-of-age journey filled with challenges along the way, like fleeting cash, a lost phone and a struggling vehicle. Their biggest setback arrives once they reach LA, where the three-piece band finds out the supposed opening gig was a prank call all along.
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Through each character’s development and their relationships with each other, Kirk succeeds at capturing teenage nostalgia that can be felt from audiences of all ages. The young cast portrays its characters’ raw emotions effectively.
Mason Thames plays Tommy, the lead singer and guitarist of the band, and underscores themes of teenage nostalgia through his vulnerability. Tommy has not had an easy life – he lost his father at a young age, struggles to engage at school and constantly argues with his older brother. He is determined to become a rock star and guides the band in times of crisis.
Likewise, Ryan Foust, who plays drummer Chad, captured the familiar trope of the “goody two-shoes friend” who is nervous of parental disapproval. Throughout the movie, Chad keeps his head hung low, constantly checking his phone and debating his decisions. Foust excels at depicting Chad’s character development, allowing viewers to empathize with him as he grows less tense – and more confident.
Kylr Coffman gave one of the most surprising performances as the bass guitarist, Fred. Although Coffman has few prior movie credits, he establishes his acting caliber in “Nimrods” by integrating a necessary comedic layer to the film. Coffman had the whole movie theater laughing at his witty jokes and chaotic antics – especially with his puppet, Gravy, used to break awkward tension when the band was in a stressful situation.
The cast’s chemistry added an extra layer to the movie, reinforcing the theme of teenage nostalgia and the beauty of the tight knit friendships forged through hardship. Through the ups and downs the Analog Dogs face, the band ends up making it out together, despite the occasional argument. Beyond portraying friendship, the movie depicts the bliss of teenage love. Mckenna Grace, who plays Olivia, embodies the feeling of hearts skipping a beat in her depiction, accomplished through her onscreen chemistry with Thames. Tommy and Olivia form a romantic relationship after meeting on the road. Thames and Grace’s real-life relationship strengthens their onscreen chemistry.
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While the characters in “Nimrods” create a sense of comfort, it was the film’s more subtle details that kept audiences on their toes. The film features many Green Day references fans of the band will enjoy, including the name of the taxi cab company and name of a special guest in a hotel room. These Easter eggs reward diehard fans. Yet, even if a viewer isn’t a dedicated Green Day enthusiast, the movie is still enjoyable to watch because it successfully integrates funny-yet-emotional, heart-to-heart scenes with star-studded music performances.
All of the film’s strengths, though, couldn’t save it from occasionally slow pacing. One example of this occurred when the car broke down. For such an otherwise visually and audibly stimulating movie, when you have three teenagers sitting on the side of the road for more than five minutes debating what to do, it breaks the pacing. Despite this, for a movie only one hour and 47 minutes long, “Nimrods” still manages to squeeze in fun plot detours – like the band playing a backyard show featuring one of the hottest pop punk bands right now, The Paradox.
Of course, the movie ends on a classic positive note, with the big concert in LA. While the whole band did not get to perform, it still got to experience the concert. Tommy even got approval of his band from Green Day’s Billie Joe Armstrong after the show, who said he would be open to producing their music.
The last 20 minutes transform the film into a punk rock palooza. With camera angles spanning from the stage to the crowd, lights, audio mixing and reactions from the crowd – Green Day fans recruited to be extras – the film makes viewers feel as if they are actually there.
Overall, “Nimrods” effectively captures the essence of a teenage comedy while encouraging audiences to dream big like the Analog Dogs and embrace the nostalgia of youth.
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