What would you do if you were told you were opening for your favourite band? Nimrods, a coming-of-age road trip film from director and writer Lee Kirk, takes that premise and makes it a chaotic and heart-warming road trip film. Inspired by Green Day’s early experiences touring before they broke through with Dookie.
Tommy (Mason Thames), Chad (Ryan Foust) and Fred (Kylr Coffman) have a band which they’re trying to launch. After hearing that Green Day are doing a meet-and-greet, they decide to gatecrash it to get their demo to them. Seizing the opportunity to prank, Tommy’s older brother Wayne (Keen Ruffalo) calls Tommy and invites the band to open for Green Day in Los Angeles. The band are excited by the prospect of opening up for their favourite band, and they steal Wayne’s car to make it to Los Angeles in time.
Nimrods is a film about youthful optimism and ambition. It is evident that they are going to seize the opportunity at all costs and refuse to be impeded by logistics. Namely, the lack of a license between the three boys. In a discussion about getting to the concert, one member of the band remarks they would walk the distance from Kansas City to Los Angeles.
This determination is infectious, and you cannot help but root for these underdogs despite knowing the very dream they are chasing is a cruel prank. The film’s emotional core is based upon the chemistry between Thames, Foust and Coffman. They capture the boundless enthusiasm of youth easily, and the chemistry between them is shown through the sense of camaraderie. Equally, the three main performers are naive and inexperienced. One amusing moment sees their stolen car breaking down as they filled it with diesel, and driving away with the diesel pump still attached. To add to that, the very idea that Tré Cool called a teenager to invite them on tour without a contract or any further details is an unbelievable premise in itself.
Across the journey, the band members run into moments of disagreement and tension. The stress and excitement that transform into anxiety make for some interesting situations, testing the limits of their dedication to breaking through. The moments of tension and disagreement are not hyperbolic, loud or filled with screams, but rather, they have an underlying feel of frustration. But in true youthful fashion, setbacks become opportunities. After their stolen car breaks down, they seize the opportunity to make $500 by entering a country song contest. A bold move for a band performing against a crowd of intimidating bikers and used to performing rock songs. But it works, and it makes you smile. The earnestness of their efforts, particularly from rising young star Thames, is executed so you never feel like they are stupid for believing in the prank. It is touching and fully believable.
The film is a coming-of-age triumph because it understands that growing up is often believing in the impossible. The viewer is one step ahead of the characters, but this is never frustrating. It reinforces the idea that chasing our dreams matters as much as achieving the outcome. And the declaration from Thames’ character when the other two want to quit encapsulates it best: taking the chance to explore those dreams is better than wondering, “what if?”.
Nimrods a charming coming-of-age road trip comedy film because it utilises the boundless energy and optimism of its young main characters well. The premise may hinge upon a healthy suspension of disbelief, but the film embraces that in service of portraying the authentic and reckless confidence that comes with being young. The journey is just as important as the destination.
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In UK cinemas on August 11th / Mason Thames, Kylr Coffman, Ryan Foust, Jenna Fischer, Fred Armisen, Sean Gunn, McKenna Grace / Dir: Lee Kir / Trafalgar Releasing
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