Free Guy (2021) Movie Review
Free Guy is one of those movies where the premise sounds really dumb, especially if you’re not into video games. But I have to say this was one of my more surprising favorites of 2021 so try to stick with me here. Guy (Ryan Reynolds) is living a pretty average life in Free City. He works at a bank that consistently gets robbed, wears the same blue shirt everyday, and never has any money. For millennials this is probably not too far off from their own lives, especially if you look at the bank robbing in a more metaphorical light. Guy never deviates from his routine.
That is until he meets Millie (Jodie Comer). After meeting her he begins to alter his routine. When his bank gets robbed the next day he fights back and steals sunglasses from the robber. These glasses allow him to see Free City for the first time. At this point it might be prudent to mention that Guy is an NPC. For people who don’t play video games, that stands for non-player character. Basically NPC’s are not controlled by a player and programmed into the game. Millie isn’t aware that Guy is an NPC and challenges him to level up before she’ll start interacting with him. Guy begins to level up by performing good acts rather than destructive ones. He becomes a phenomenon in the game and is coined “Blue Shirt Guy.”
In the real world, Free City is an open-world video game developed by Soonami Games. The source code for the game was actually stolen from Keys (Joe Keery) and Millie but neither of them can prove it. Millie plays the game in the hopes of finding the code and revealing the truth about Soonami Games. Guy begins to assist her in this quest unknowingly and they develop a bond. Guy is particularly interesting as he begins to become sentient and very obviously develops feelings for Millie. I won’t spoil the ending of Free Guy because it’s truly worth a watch.
Ryan Reynolds is reliably funny and goofy in the lead role. This is Jodie Comer’s first big feature film in the U.S. and she smashes it. If you haven’t seen her in Killing Eve or Help, I highly recommend watching them. Sometimes actor. Taika Waititi (who you might be more familiar with as a director), is memorable as the sleazy and off his rocker Antwan, the head of Soonami Games. He gives off the perfect crazed persona that drives the movie forward and presents an unlikeable villain as the foil. The visual effects are tons of fun and video game nerds will enjoy the “world” of Free City. Plus there’s a ridiculous amount of action with car chases, gun fights, and even hand to hand fight scenes. So there really is something for everyone. Free Guy proves that original content can still be worth making in the age of franchises and remakes. I had a blast watching it and it was one of my surprise favorites this year!
You’ll like this movie if:
1. You like video games
2. You like when Ryan Reynolds plays Ryan Reynolds
3. You like action-packed fun
