Free guy... review

In "Free Guy," a bank teller who discovers he is actually a background player in an open-world video game, decides to become the hero of his own story... one he rewrites himself. Now in a world where there are no limits, he is determined to be the guy who saves his world his way... before it is too late.

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

One of my favourite films this year.

With such an original and fun concept, a stellar cast and amazing special effects, this movie will be such a contender for film of the year. It will have you dying with laughter in one breath and crushing your heart in the next. The film – directed by Shawn Levy from a screenplay by Matt Lieberman and Zakk Penn – is a clever and funny action-adventure movie that is filled with incredible cameos, easter-eggs and pop culture references that will have you screaming at the screen.

The movie takes place between the real world and inside an open-world game and it perfectly distinguishes between the two. In the game world, the background action is just as impressive as the foreground. With NPC's buffering and glitching into walls whilst Reynolds delivers a comedic and brilliant piece of dialogue is what makes this movie so brilliant. The little details that tie it all together proves that this film was made by a group of extremely talented and passionate individuals who love films and games. The creators have meticulously planned every scene and every shot, ensuring that not a beat nor a gag is missed. There are also acting roles by popular gaming YouTube stars and Twitch streamers, which gives the film a fun and dynamic feel that isn't often seen in blockbuster movies.

The action starts straight away, with an immediate reference to the popular video game Fortnite, already telling the audience what they will be getting themselves into. We dive straight in, not allowing room for filler dialogue about unnecessary backstory about the character. And whilst, as a viewer, I am thankful for this, it isn't until the film develops that you realise, this character has no backstory. You are watching the character create his backstory. Along his journey, we watch a lost and lonely soul discover who he truly is, falling in and out of love, learning new things about himself and becoming the hero he needs to be. Behind the goofy and silly facade, this film has a lot of heart. It questions the ideas of free will and if we actually are all in control of ourselves - or if we are 'programmed' by people in higher powers. It deals with the developments in computer sciences and the future of our digital society and whether us, as humans, should have any control over artificial intelligence.

Ryan Reynolds soars in this role, it was absolutely made for him and he is perfect in it. He brings such a humanity to the character that I wasn't expecting. His chemistry with his scene partners is second to none and his comedic timing is very commendable. I don't think anyone would have been able to play this role better than Reynolds, and he definitely made it his own. Sharing the screen with Reynolds is the remarkable Jodie Comer, who is great in this film. She gives the audience a new sense of agency that is not often done with female characters, and creates a powerful, yet empathetic character who isn't defined by her love life, but one who embraces it, all whilst being a badass, intelligent character. Howery is a hoot as the charmingly oblivious Buddy and Keery is a fun addition to the cast. Taika Waititi stole the show, of course, being as crazy and flamboyant as he possibly can which suits his character incredibly well. Not only are these actors incredible within the film but be prepared for some A-List cameos, both on screen and voice. (No Spoilers but, OMG!)

Free Guy, whilst still a comedy and absolutely nailing it, has a lot of heart, and is most certainly a love letter to the gaming and pop-culture nerd community. With niche and mainstream references to games such as Fortnite, Portal and MegaMan, this movie is one to rewatch and rewatch again to catch all of these hidden gems. And with pop culture references to Marvel, Star Wars and Deadpool itself, this film is about as meta as they come and executes this perfectly.

Be prepared to have so much fun with this film. The comedy and action will blow you away, the films love stories will have you gripped to the screen and the use of easter egg and cameo will make you want to rewatch it the second the credits roll. If you are a fan of games, movies, action, comedy, love stories or Ryan Reynolds, this is the film for you.

(If you are a fan of Ready Player One and Deadpool, you will love this movie).