Good Boys' Gene Stupnitsky and Lee Eisenberg on why all comedies need to be shorter

Whenever a new comedy comes out, audiences and critics alike quickly make judgements on its pacing and length. A real knee-slapper must move briskly and push boundaries—but not push time boundaries beyond about 100 minutes. Anything longer can run the risk of losing its laughs and falling flat.

The new Good Boys is a tight 90 minutes, meaning you can go to a 7:30pm showing and be home in bed by 9:30, if that’s what you’re into. Co-writers Gene Stupnitsky and Lee Eisenberg told The A.V. Club that’s on purpose, all with the intent of keeping the material lean and mean. In the video above, the two expound a little on why comedies benefit from brevity, as well as how incredibly easy it was for them to slip back into being 12 years old again.

Photo credit: Ed Araquel/Universal Pictures