Written by For decades, rock and roll has been an easy framing device for screenwriters to rely upon. Whether the comedies starred the band themselves (A Hard Days Night) or were fictionalized stories around a popular band (I Want to Hold Your Hand), these premises have found a foothold in the zeitgeist. Nimrods takes its name from the 1997 Green Day album and gives itself wholly over to their power. With a fun cast, led by Mason Thames, Nimrods scratches a nostalgic itch while creating an enjoyable buddy road trip adventure.
What is Nimrods about?
Frustrated with school and struggling with the recent death of his father, Tommy (Thames) pours himself into his rock band. Dubbed “The Analog Dogs,” his three-piece punk group includes best friend Fred (Kylr Coffman) and the nerdy drummer Chad (Ryan Foust). When the teens hear that Green Day is in town, they rush over to the record store to drop off their demo. However, they leave Tommy’s older brother, Wayne (Keen Ruffalo), stuck on the roof to bring down all their Christmas decorations.
Angry at his brother, Wayne decides to prank Tommy and his friends. He prank calls them as drummer Tre Cool and invites them out to California to open for the iconic band on New Year’s Eve. The news sparks Tommy’s drive to reach his big break, despite his mother (Jenna Fisher) telling him he cannot go. The three boys steal Wayne’s car and soon find themselves on a road trip of a lifetime.
A road trip comedy with heart might be basic, but the laughs help lift Nimrods.
You’ve certainly seen movies like Nimrod before. One part Rock and Roll High School, one part Sex Drive, and one part Fanboys, director Lee Kirk runs into many of the tropes you’d expect from the comedy. The boys fight and “break up” only to reunite when their backs are against the wall. They face each other to grow and deliver heartfelt monologues to each other. Nimrods is not trying to reinvent the wheel, and frankly, it does not have to. In its simplicity, it delivers an emotional wallop and allows the actors to shine.
Kirk, best known for his previous collaboration with Billie Joe Armstrong on Ordinary World, handles his characters with care. Yet he’s also insightful about which characters deserve their moments to shine and when best to deploy them. His cast is up for the shenanigans, whether it be stage diving or using faux-muppets to deliver the one-liners. But ultimately, it’s with Kirk’s steady hand as writer and director that helps Nimrods deliver emotional catharsis for the audience.
While the initial moments of Nimrods might not appear overly seeped in Green Day lore, those versed in the band’s history will quickly put together the pieces. The Easter eggs approach is not always effective, but the vast majority of these moments slide into the story without actively causing the movie to stop and allow the audience to “Leo point” at the screen. This should help us music heads who spent way too much time obsessing over previous drummers in Sweet Children or how the punk outfit fared on their early European tours feel our efforts rewarded. An emerging band in the pop punk scene, The Paradox, sneaks in between the Green Day moments to become an Easter egg themselves.
At the same time, there are some obvious moments that could only happen because of Green Day’s involvement. A climatic moment comes with a track from the often criticized 21st Century Breakdown album (the follow-up to American Idiot), which mostly works because the song is overly repetitive. Nearly the entire Green Day discography is given a chance to shine in Nimrods, allowing a few deep cuts to get their due. At the same time, one would not be faulted for feeling like the use of certain songs would feel more at home in Green Day’s American Idiot broadway show.
The performances are mostly serviceable in Nimrods. Few of the actors do anything beyond what is asked of them, but Thames continues to build an impressive resume. The actor has to play the raw emotion of a high school kid and blend it with the awkward confidence of a would-be rockstar. He does not always succeed at level he does in Idiots or Black Phone, but he’s also clearly the highlight of the movie.
Perhaps the most frustrating aspect of Nimrods are the lack of moments for the women in the story. In traditional fashion, Fischer, McKenna Grace, and Angela Kinsey have almost nothing to do in the movie. Other actors, including Bobby Lee, Fred Armisen, and Sean Gunn, are limited to bit-based characters. The one-note side characters do little to deepen the story, arguably opening the door to be a distraction rather than helpful to the plot.
Is Nimrods worth watching?
Yes, especially if you are a Green Day fan. It’s a simple road trip comedy, but it’s an effective one. I had a genuinely good time watching a low-stakes throwback comedy, and even though I’ve been very harsh on Green Day in the past, they are the perfect vehicle to drive the story. With some fun cameos, good music, and enough heart, Nimrods overcomes my skepticism. It might be millennial nostalgia, but it feels like a movie that will resonate with audiences, regardless of your membership in the Idiot Club.
Nimrods releases in theaters on August 14, 2026.
This post belongs to FandomWire and first appeared on FandomWire
