Anytime Shane Black makes a movie, there’s reason to celebrate. The guy’s got one of the most distinct and entertaining voices in the world of film, and his transition from screenwriter to writer/director with Kiss Kiss Bang Bang and Iron Man 3 worked tremendously. Now, with The Nice Guys, Black blends his penchant for comedic pairings with the sensibilities of the 1970s, as Ryan Gosling and Russell Crowe topline the caper about a private investigator and hired enforcer, respectively, who reluctantly team up to look into the death of a porn star.

We’ve already seen in the film’s trailers that Gosling and Crowe have phenomenal chemistry, and now their rapport is being given a spotlight in the form of a trio of “webisodes” released online. The setup of these viral videos is that the duo are going to therapy to prepare for the extended time they’ll spend together on the press tour for the movie. It’s a pretty funny setup with some solid moments, and Gosling and Crowe genuinely feel like they’re having a blast just being together.

Black co-wrote The Nice Guys with Anthony Bagarozzi, and the filmmaker recently told us that if you’re a fan of Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, you’ll recognize some of the similarities to that film in The Nice Guys, although The Nice Guys is clearly only connected to that movie through sensibility and tone, not characters. Regardless, it remains one of my most anticipated films of the year, and these webisodes only make the pairing of Gosling and Crowe that much more exciting.

Watch the videos below. The Nice Guys opens in theaters on May 20th.

Here's the official synopsis for The Nice Guys:

“The Nice Guys” takes place in 1970s Los Angeles, when down-on-his-luck private eye Holland March (Gosling) and hired enforcer Jackson Healy (Crowe) must work together to solve the case of a missing girl and the seemingly unrelated death of a porn star.  During their investigation, they uncover a shocking conspiracy that reaches up to the highest circles of power.