Directed by Shawn Levy, Free Guy takes place in the open-world video game Free City where Guy (Ryan Reynolds) is an NPC working as a bank teller. Thanks to a code developed by programmers Millie (Jodie Comer) and Keys (Joe Keery) inserted into Free City by the publisher Antwan (Taika Waititi), Guy becomes self-aware of his world being a video game, and takes steps to make himself the hero, creating a race against time to save the game before the developers can shut it down.
Ryan Reynolds has always been a true gem so when I saw the trailers for this film I knew this was definitely a must watch, not only for him but of course for the gaming elements since they touched upon my gamer heart. I had concerns but those ended up being completely washed away by the time this film finished. This is perhaps the most wholesome and geekiest action comedy I have seen in a very long time.
Within the first few minutes the film already had me hooked in, but I was surprised by just how much I got invested in it, especially on an emotional level throughout the whole thing. It’s a hilarious film that has a lot of quick banter and seriously great jokes, but it also has a surprising amount of heart and themes that I can see people really connecting with.
Ryan Reynolds can do no wrong as he delivers a truly fantastic performance as Guy, channeling a little bit of that inner Deadpool but primarily sticking with being a very wholesome character that you truly root for as he tries to be the good guy of his world. He questions his existence and believes he can be more than just a “background character”, which can definitely be an allegory for many things and it is done really well here.
Jodie Comer also played a fantastic role opposite of Reynolds and the two just really share the best chemistry together onscreen, and the interesting part is that chemistry does end tying into the story in a way audiences will never expect. If you think by watching the trailers you know what is going to happen between these two, you got another thing coming.
Joe Keery has a great supporting role as does Lil Rel Howery as Guy’s best friend who is both funny and also wholesome in his own way.
And then of course you have the glorious Taika Waititi as the film’s antagonist who is pretty much a full-on parody of greedy video game companies all rolled into one. He may not be the most original villain but Taika’s style of humor and wit fits the character so well and makes him just a complete joy to watch onscreen.
What I was probably surprised by the most is the crazy amount of cameos this film actually has. Some are very obvious but there are a number of secret ones hidden within the film that you can catch and they are honestly pretty damn funny. There may be a certain someone who Ryan Reynolds is always obsessed with who is in this film and people are definitely going to be surprised, if they can recognize that person.
The story as I mentioned is very much an action comedy but one that has heart and gamer geekiness interwoven in it. There are some interesting turns the film takes that you don’t entirely expect and it avoids some major cliches, which was such a huge relief. There are definitely a lot of comparisons you can make with this film and Ready Player One in terms of how it utilizes references and game world rules, but there are also things Free Guy does very different compared to Ready Player One. For one, the game isn’t a virtual reality game and is just like normal games most people play today on their PCs, consoles, or mobile devices, making the story easy to connect to for audiences of our current generation.
Free City you could tell is primarily based on GTA Online in terms of style, look, and gameplay, but they do take a few liberties that go beyond the limits of that game by adding their own spins to it. It also has a lot of self-aware humor that pokes fun at the issues and elements of most open world games today as well as makes fun of modern gaming culture too.
A lot of visual gags are used along with references to popular games and franchises but it never beats you over the head with it and only utilizes them at the best moments to get the best laughs. Probably the best use of the references has to be in the third act when “Dude” shows up. They go full on fan service in this sequence and I fucking loved it to the point where I was crying happy tears. They knew where to save the best for last and they absolutely nailed it both in humor and absolute epicness.
The action is a lot of fun and again uses video game logic and gags to its advantage, such as ragdoll physics that they end up using for some great slapstick. The CGI is a bit cartoony but I think that was done on purpose to fit with the video game aesthetic as well as add to some of the visual gags too.
The film features a really great soundtrack of fun songs though it doesn’t have that much of a memorable score, which is a shame given that it was done by composer Christophe Beck who did the score for the Antman films.
Free Guy definitely has some things you can nitpick but honestly, it’s a wonderful film that I think everyone needs to see. It has things for us big geeks to go crazy for but it also has a fun and wholesome story with good characters that everyone can really enjoy. It’s a definite must watch, especially for those that just need something to lighten up their day and have not a good day… but a great day. I’m going to give Free Guy an A.
You can find more of my writing on instagram, and check out my channel on YouTube!