Review: ‘Goons’ an Indie Comedy Short that Succeeds in its Task of Brining Wholesome, Goodhearted Laughter

Directed by Alexis White and written and produced by Jose Duran, “Goons” is a 23-minute indie comedy that centers on a group of friends in a pickle. Juggling styles, the film feels at times like a mockumentary, at other times like an episode of “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia,” and still other times like its own zany narrative. It’s a comedy abut a group of friends that gets an eviction notice and brainstorms to find a solution to coming up with three months rent before they’re out on the street. The film feels very indie, and its style has been done before. However, “Goons” succeeds in its intended mission: it is indeed very funny. 

The characters here are all very likable. The cast is comprised of Johnny (Chad Anderson), Drew (Severen Cole), Andy (Roberto Arrizon), and Sal (Chad Meisenheimer). The friends all have their special skill. Johnny is the “brains,” Drew is the “looks,” Andy is the “muscle,” and Sal is the “computer guru.” Put together, their problem-solving skills rate as awful. But “Goons” finds a humor in their predicament that shies away from being cynical and is just amicably funny. 

An Indie Film Through and Through

Naw “Susan” Zaw Zaw does the cinematography for “Goons” and focuses the camera on these four and lets the story tell itself. There’s one shot of downtown Los Angeles which places the film. However, other than that, “Goons” follows the four around as they concoct one cockamamy idea after another to avoid eviction. Since the ideas are rather funny, and the meat of the movie, I won’t spoil them here. The humor comes from the earnestness with which the goons feel that these are good ideas and their naive belief they will actually pay off. 

As “Goons” is a character-driven comedy, the “plot” revolves around its dialogue rather than story progression. Jose Duran does a good job with the script. It’s hard to be funny, you can’t force it, and Duran gives his leads clueless ideas they must deliver with deadpan stares, and the whole thing just works. On top of this, the production elements of the film seem professional. The wardrobes are believable, the sound design is fitting, and the editing is solid. 

There are a lot of ancillary side characters “Goons” throws in, and they all perform aptly. An ex-coach the four meet up with (Stevie Haynes) and a basketball player, Cory (Dean Wean) were my favorite, but they’re all humorous in their own way. Their line delivery is sometimes iffy (they know they’re in a movie) but somehow it makes “Goons” funnier in the process rather than hurting it. 

Goons was shot on a Canon c200 and won two CSUN awards: one for ‘Best Cinematography’ and one for ‘Best Sound Production.’ In addition, the film was also nominated for a CSUN for ‘Best Director.’ 

You Can Watch the Film on YouTube

If you want to check out this humorous film, it is available on YouTube at the link below. You can also follow the crew of “Goons” on Instagram here. If you like indie films — and want a laugh that doesn’t revolve around cynicism or face-plants, “Goons” provides a welcome distraction from the toils of everyday life. 

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