Actor Russell Crowe says his new film shows how the United States "corrupted its own future."

'The Nice Guys' sees down-on-his-luck private eye Holland March (Ryan Gosling) and hired enforcer Jackson Healy (Crowe) - who 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.

It all takes place in 1970s Los Angeles.

"I actually thought it was a great combination of characters and comedic stuff, but with a plot that was based on something extremely serious", he told The Picture Show.

"It's like (director) Shane Black reached back in time and he found the point that America made decisions that corrupted its own future."

"So here it is, it's (the) early 70s, you've already had the first Middle Eastern oil blockade situation; and instead of looking at the future and going 'you know what - we should be in the business of alternative fuels' and turning it's head that way, America kind of did the opposite."

"It was held to ransom, in a way, by the big three car companies."

"I always base what I'm going to do with what's on the page, and I've done a tonne of comedies over time and they never really appeared to be that funny to me - but this was funny."

"That sort of place where you take an audience along on the journey and you kind of feel them go 'Oh they're not going to go there' - and you go there."

Crowe says he has "fond memories" of 1997's 'LA Confidential', adding that Kevin Spacey "is the bees knees - he's one of the greatest actors ever."

He also says that Ron Howard is one of his favourite directors, but "nobody beats" Ridley Scott "for what you get done on a set every day."

Hear the full interview on The Picture Show - tonight from 6.00pm