The Nice Guys (Limited Edition) 4K Ultra HD Review

Estimated reading time: 8 minutes

A Neon-Soaked Love Letter to 70s Mayhem

Set against the smoggy, polyester-clad backdrop of 1977 Los Angeles, The Nice Guys is a riotous cocktail of slapstick chaos and hardboiled detective tropes. Director Shane Black (Kiss Kiss Bang Bang) crafts a world where disco balls spin alongside grimy alleyways, and every corner hides a new absurd threat. The plot kicks off when bumbling P.I. Holland March (Ryan Gosling) and gruff enforcer Jackson Healy (Russell Crowe) collide during a missing-person case involving a vanished young woman (Margaret Qualley). What unfolds isn’t just a mystery—it’s a spiraling odyssey through porn sets, auto-industry conspiracies, and parties where gunfire drowns out Donna Summer.

The Buddy Dynamic: Gosling & Crowe’s Masterclass in Mismatch 

The film’s rocket fuel is the chemistry between Gosling and Crowe. Gosling delivers a career-high comedic performance as March—a walking disaster with a detective license, whose flailing physicality (picture him screaming at a bathroom stall or tripping over corpses) evokes silent-era clowns. Crowe’s Healy is his perfect foil: a world-weary bruiser whose fists do the talking until his reluctant conscience kicks in. Their banter crackles with insults and unexpected vulnerability, transforming a forced partnership into something oddly heartfelt. The glue holding them together? March’s precocious teenage daughter Holly (Angourie Rice), whose sharp wit and moral compass steal every scene she’s in.

Shane Black’s Playground: Style Over Substance (and That’s Okay) 

Black leans unapologetically into style, resurrecting 70s L.A. with tactile detail—rusty muscle cars, shag carpets, and a killer soundtrack dripping with funk and sleaze. The plot, involving environmental cover-ups and elusive adult films, serves primarily as a clothesline for set pieces: a hilariously botched stakeout, a chaotic pool party shootout, and Crowe calmly eating pancakes amid chaos. While the mystery twists energetically, it’s the detours that dazzle. Supporting players like Matt Bomer’s ice-cold hitman “John Boy” and Kim Basinger’s steely bureaucrat add flavor without overcomplicating the ride.

More Than Just Laughs: Unexpected Bites Beneath the Chaos 

Beneath the punchlines lies surprising texture. Black uses the post-Watergate, pre-Reagan era to explore institutional rot—corporate greed, political apathy—while keeping the tone breezy. March’s fractured relationship with Holly adds genuine stakes, grounding the absurdity in paternal desperation. Even Healy’s brutality carries a worn-out pragmatism; these aren’t heroes, just broken men navigating a broken system. The film never lectures, but its backdrop of catalytic converter conspiracies and industrial pollution feels eerily prescient.

Why It Flopped Then (and Shines Now) 

Despite critical praise, The Nice Guys bombed at the box office in 2016—likely a victim of mismarketing (trailers sold pure action, not dark comedy) and franchise-fatigued audiences. Yet its cult status is undeniable. Rewatches reveal layered jokes, meticulous period detail, and a rhythm that balances suspense and silliness. Gosling’s physical comedy, Crowe’s deadpan gravitas, and Rice’s breakout performance coalesce into something uniquely rewatchable. It’s a film that improves with age, much like the vinyl records spinning in its seedy bars.

Verdict: A Perfectly Balanced Comedy Thriller 

The Nice Guys is a rare gem that understands its genre’s roots while gleefully subverting them. It’s laugh-out-loud funny without sacrificing tension, stylish without being hollow, and smart without taking itself seriously. For fans of Inherent Vice’s vibe or Lethal Weapon’s buddy energy, this is essential viewing. Though overlooked initially, its blend of heart, humor, and Hollywood nihilism ensures it’ll keep finding new fans—one shattered glass pane and snarky one-liner at a time.

The Video

The Nice Guys was originally shot on the Arri Alexa XT Plus with Panavision E-, G-series and Angenieux Optimo 2S lenses and the Red Epic Dragon with Kowa Prominar lenses (some shots) in ARRIRAW 2.8K resolution and Redcode RAW 6K resolution, respectively. The version provided by Second Sight is described as a “new 4K UHD master produced by Second Sight Films and presented in HDR Dolby Vision approved by Director Shane Black.” The film is presented in a 2.39:1 HEVC 2160p (4K UHD) Dolby Vision encodement on 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Disc. The image has enhanced clarity, color vibrance, extended shadow details, and crisp detail. Highlights have good visibility, seen in scenes such as when Gosling is swimming in the pool at the porn party or when the characters are driving in the Southern California sun.

The Audio

Second Sight offers up a new Dolby Atmos mix in addition to the original 5.1 mix in DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1. The Atmos mix is a solid one that has a good spread of sounds, clear dialogue and nice extension if not ground rattling into the lows, but it doesn’t do much with the overheads. There are only some atmospherics in the overheads that remain mostly stagnant. Sometimes the musical soundtrack is raised a bit over the ground level channels.

The Supplements

Second Sight loads The Nice Guys limited edition up with their usual amount of excellent features and collectibles. A Blu-ray with the feature film and identical bonus features is also included.

Limited Edition Contents

• Rigid slipcase with new artwork by Obviously Creative
• 150-page hardback book with new essays by Mitchell Beaupre, Barry Forshaw, Jamie Graham, Justin LaLiberty, Naomi Roper, Hannah Strong and Nadine Whitney 
• 9 collectors’ art cards 

Bonus Features:

• Commentary with Director Shane Black and Co-Writer Anthony Bagarozzi moderated by Writer Priscilla Page
• Knights in Tarnished Armour: An interview with Director Shane Black (1080p; 00:35:47)
• Finding an Audience: An interview with Co-Producer Ethan Erwin (1080p; 00:22:15)
• A thousand Cuts: An interview with Director of Photography Philippe Rousselot (1080p; 00:14:04)
• From Lethal Weapons to Nice Guys: A video essay by Leigh Singer (1080p; 00:21:29)
• Always Bet on Black (1080p; 00:05:24)
• Making the Nice Guys: Worst. Detectives. Ever. (1080p; 00:06:14)
• Cast Interviews (1080p; 00:11:09)
• Trailers (1080p; 00:05:04)

The Final Assessment

The Nice Guys is a laugh out loud dark comedy that drops you right into the middle of the shaggy polyester of the 1970s. It’s grit and glitter on a solid 4K platter from Second Sight.

The Nice Guys (Limited Edition) is out on 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray June 16, 2025 from Second Sight

Details

• Rating Certificate: UK: 15
• Studios & Distributors: Warner Bros. | Silver Pictures | Waypoint Entertainment | Bloom | Lipsync Productions | Misty Mountains | Second Sight Films
• Director: Shane Black
• Written By: Shane Black | Anthony Bagarozzi
• Run Time: 115 Mins.
• Aspect Ratio: 2.39:1
• Video Format: HEVC 2160p (4K UHD)
• HDR Format: Dolby Vision (HDR10 Compatible)
• Primary Audio: English Dolby Atmos (Dolby TrueHD 7.1 Compatible)
• Secondary Audio: Original English DTS-HD MA 5.1
• Subtitles: English SDH
• Street Date: 16 June 2025