Good Bad Things Parent Guide

With his PR firm on the brink of bankruptcy, Danny (Danny Kurtzman) must win the contract to rebrand Rubi, a popular dating app. His best friend and business partner, Jason (Brett Dier), urges him to try the app and Danny convinces himself that he’s doing it to understand the user experience. But then Madi (Jessica Parker Kennedy) swipes right – and Danny grapples with the truth he hid in his carefully cropped photo.

Danny has muscular dystrophy, a degenerative genetic disease that gradually causes the breakdown of his muscles. He uses an electric wheelchair and relies heavily on assistance from Jason (who’s also his roommate) and his dad, who drops in regularly. If he tells Madi about his disability, Danny is convinced she’ll disappear.

As it turns out, Madi is unfazed by Danny’s disability, and the two begin a relationship. Madi has a warm, open personality and when he’s with her, Danny feels free and able to take risks. But when a bedroom photo session takes a turn, Danny starts to wonder if it was a mistake or a “good bad thing”.

Good Bad Things is at its best seeing the world from Danny’s perspective. Danny Kurtzman has soulful eyes and expertly portrays his character’s frustration, anger, fear of missing out, insecurity, and self-doubt. It’s a finely nuanced performance. Credit also goes to Jessica Parker Kennedy for creating a Madi who feels genuinely warmhearted and open to life. Brett Dier also brings personality to a character that could simply feel like a goofy sidekick.

Unfortunately, the script isn’t as good as the cast. Two things happen in this film: Danny’s company vies for a contract and Danny must decide what to do about intimate photos and a relationship. And almost all of it happens at glacial speed. I’m sincerely interested in the issues the movie raises about body image, mixed ability relationships, and self-esteem, but even I found myself zoning out repeatedly.

Also troubling are the film’s frequent content issues. There’s lots of alcohol consumption in the film, including scenes of drunkenness. There’s also drug use: main characters take magic mushrooms and this is treated as a positive experience that broadens their perspectives. Add in some bedtime makeout sessions, partial nudity in photos, and a dozen sexual expletives, and this unrated film clocks in at a Restricted rating.

Although the movie’s title refers to Danny’s framing of his decisions, it also stretches to encompass my view of the film. There are some good things, some bad things, and overall, plenty of “meh”. I was rooting for this movie and I really wish it had been the compelling story it had the potential to become.