Twitter

If you ask a handful of people to name their favorite “bro comedy” of the aughts, you’ll receive a variety of answers. The often-raunchy genre flourished in the early 2000s as an array of schlubby Peter Pans attempted to delay the horrors of adulthood for as long as humanly possible. Old School, Dodgeball, Wedding Crashers, The Hangover, Anchorman, there’s no shortage of stellar options. Even if you’re not a fan of the genre, its impact on the zeitgeist is impossible to deny. “I’m kind of a big deal,” Frank the Tank’s Bed, Bath, & Beyond line, “Lock it up,” so many small moments from these films infiltrated the lexicon and permeated the culture. While the aforementioned movies receive most of the (deserved) acclaim, there’s a second tier of films from the genre that are comparatively overlooked.

One such film is the 2008 comedy Role Models, which is now streaming on Hulu.

Directed by David Wain, Role Models tells the story of energy drink salesmen, the gregarious Wheeler (Seann William Scott) and cantankerous Danny (Paul Rudd) who enroll in a Big Brother program to avoid going to jail. The two polar opposites are assigned to mentor two troubled youths: a notorious trouble-maker with an affinity for cursing, Ronnie (Bobb’e J. Thompson), and Augie (Christopher Mintz-Plasse), a socially awkward teen obsessed with medieval role-playing games.

The movie doesn’t break any new cinematic ground. The plot is well-covered terrain and didn’t have the luxury of attracting viewers by splashing names like Will Ferrell or Vince Vaughn on the marquee (although it did earn almost $100 million worldwide). It’s not discussed with the same fervor as Old School or remembered as fondly as Anchorman; it hasn’t even earned a belated cult following like Step Brothers. But here’s the thing: Role Models is good. Very good. Despite grossing more than three times its budget and earning critical acclaim, this razor-sharp comedy is the forgotten bro classic.

Role Models flourishes thanks to a deceptively simple formula: It’s well-written, superbly directed, and features charismatic leads and a comedically gifted ensemble. The success of the film starts with the infectious chemistry between the perpetually underrated Seann William Scott and inherently affable Paul Rudd. Conflict breeds humor so it’s a blast to watch the sweet, simple disposition of Wheeler continuously clash with the sour, crabby personality of Danny. But the chemistry doesn’t end with the two leads. The film is brimming with Wet Hot American Summer alums, and director David Wain took advantage of his cast’s ebullient rapport by allowing the actors to improvise on set, which resulted in the natural conversational humor prevalent throughout Role Models.

Thompson and Mintz-Plasse are perfectly cast as wayward youngsters in need of mentoring, but it’s the scene-stealing performances from Elizabeth Banks, Kerri Kenney, Ken Marino, and A.D. Miles (among others) that elevate the script. And then there’s Jane Lynch. From Glee to Party Down to countless other projects, the actress has always been a fountain of laughs, but her performance as Sweeny, a recovering addict in charge of Sturdy Wings, is the absolute funniest part of the film.

Sweeny: You know what I used to eat for breakfast? Cocaine. You know what I used to eat for lunch? Cocaine.
Wheeler: What did ya have for dinner?
Danny: Was it cocaine?

Role Models is just a ton of fun. It’s a breezy, immensely rewatchable movie that concentrates on extracting all the humor it can out of each and every scene. It’s the perfect cinematic cure for a crummy day. Stream it today on Hulu.

Where to stream Role Models