I caught a sneak preview of Nimrods on Tuesday, with only a handful of people in the theater. This rock-and-roll road-trip coming-of-age movie is well worth a watch.

The film is a fun ride that captures the spirit of hitting the road with your friends and chasing something crazy. It’s got plenty of heart, plenty of music, and, of course, plenty of Green Day.

7:42●●● 95%

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But where the movie really connected with me was in the characters. The actors do a great job bringing them to life, and you’ll find someone you knew growing up in almost every one of them.

The one segment that didn’t quite work for me was the Fred Armisen sequence. It felt somewhat disconnected from the rest of the movie.

And then there’s the soundtrack.

It absolutely rocks. Along with plenty of Green Day—both old favorites, new live cuts created specifically for the film, and a brand new cut—we get tracks from the Analog Dogs, The Paradox, and McKenna Grace, all of whom are featured in the movie.

On the new cut, Green Day ventures into rockabilly territory with I’m Never Gonna RIP. I found myself wishing Mike Dirnt would have picked up a doghouse bass for this one.

There’s a LOT of music here, and it’s a big part of what makes the movie such a blast. When I saw the sneak preview, just after the credits were finished, we were treated to a three-song encore of Green Day concert footage featuring songs not included in the film. I hope that sticks around when the movie is released. It’s that good.

Is Nimrods another A Hard Day’s Night?

No. But it doesn’t need to be.

With a soundtrack packed with Green Day and plenty of punk-rock attitude from the stars of the film, Nimrods should win over some new Green Day converts while giving punks, old and new, plenty of reasons to smile.

Grade: B-

Plot Three friends journey from Kansas City to Los Angeles, mistakenly believing that their band is opening for Green Day on New Year’s Eve.