Free Guy (2021) - SPOILER-FREE Review
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Directed by: Shawn Levy
Written by: Matt Lieberman, Zak Penn
Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Jodie Comer, Lil Rel Howery, Utkarsh Ambudkar, Joe Keery, Taika Waititi
Runtime: 115 min
Synopsis: 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.
I can't consider myself a hardcore gamer in the sense that I play hundreds of videogames on different platforms in my spare time, but I do belong to the gaming community. Videogames have been part of my whole life, and some of the most hilarious moments of my childhood occurred while playing Nintendo 64 with my older brothers. Nowadays, I couldn't help but succumb to the Fortnite addiction, but I also can't avoid playing games from franchises I deeply love, such as Star Wars, Tomb Raider, or Assassin's Creed.
As usual, I didn't watch a single trailer for Free Guy, so my expectations were as simple as "I hope to have a good time". I certainly didn't expect a videogame flick - not based on an actual videogame, but still a film about videogames nonetheless - to become one of my favorite movies of the year by blowing me away with how surprisingly smart and ridiculously entertaining it actually is… Well, Shawn Levy (Night at the Museum) and his duo of writers - Matt Lieberman (SCOOB!) and Zak Penn (Ready Player One) deliver the best surprise of 2021!
I don't even know where to begin. Maybe with the attention-grabbing statement: Free Guy is the best videogame film ever, and it's not even an adaptation from known IP - and it's much, much more than just a videogame flick. It's an original story that not only offers an outstanding tribute to the gaming community - even inviting some famous gamers for some wholesome, witty cameos - but it also breaks tons of stereotypes along the way by showing the numerous benefits of gaming without ever feeling like a forced message.
There are so many details that gamers will recognize and get excited about, but don't let my words trick you. Free Guy is a blast of entertainment for everyone, gamer or not. From impressively shot action sequences to the visually stunning virtual world, it's the most fun I've had at the theater this year. Disney also shows that owning every single studio isn't all bad. In fact, this movie makes a case for the positive potential that the Mickey Mouse company currently possesses by having almost all of the fan-favorite sagas in their portfolio - the action-heavy climax is the ultimate definition of a nerdgasm.
Acting-wise, I was scared that Ryan Reynolds (The Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard) would hurt the film with his sometimes exaggerated comedic mannerisms and often excessive improv, but the actor is able to moderate his performance seamlessly. Reynolds is charmingly funny as usual, but the supporting cast is right up there with him. Jodie Comer (England Is Mine) delivers what I believe might be her breakthrough in the movie section, Joe Keery (Stranger Things) begins to show that he might be a truly underrated young actor, and Lil Rel Howery (Judas and the Black Messiah) is the perfect companion to Reynolds' character.
Most viewers will probably just focus on the action and the fun nature of the film, but Free Guy sets itself apart from similar movies due to its deceivingly simple premise that proves to be extraordinarily smart, emotionally compelling, and surprisingly profound. A deeper theme regarding human nature and what is truly real is beautifully explored throughout the entire runtime. Using the videogame NPCs (non-player characters) as a clever analogy to the real world, Levy, Lieberman, and Penn handle these sensitive questions with such care that they delivered one of the best dialogue scenes of the whole year.
Often, people define "reality" and "human" as something palpable, visible, or physical but rarely look at "moments" and how they feel while going through one. I never anticipated a film that inevitably examines (online) gaming and the people behind the screen to surprise me to the point of genuinely making me care about videogame characters. It's humorously self-aware, joyful, incredibly captivating, and possesses all those traits that the general public loves, but don't let anyone tell you that it's just a "videogame flick".
I really don't have any major issues to point out. Antwan (Taika Waititi) is purposefully over-the-top and follows the archetype that the actor-director-writer usually interprets. He's admittedly a tad too caricatural for my taste, but I understand the intent. However, Mouser (Utkarsh Ambudkar) holds a cliche arc that weirdly ends up portraying him as a friend of Keery's character, Keys, when he's everything but that. Nevertheless, these are nitpicks of mine about a movie I genuinely love, and I honestly can't wait to watch it again.
Final Thoughts
Free Guy possesses a remarkable tribute to the gaming community, but it's the surprisingly clever, thematically rich screenplay that makes it one of my favorite films of the year. In addition to the impressive visuals, hilarious comedy bits, and thrilling action sequences, Shawn Levy, Matt Lieberman, and Zak Penn offer a brilliant narrative that deeply explores human nature and what the viewers perceive as "real". Superb acting from the entire cast, namely Ryan Reynolds and Jodie Comer, and jaw-dropping cameos genuinely elevate the overall experience. Honestly, it might be the very first movie to prove that Disney owning every major studio also has its perks. What could have been "just a videogame flick" is actually a nerdgasmic, super exciting viewing with emotionally compelling characters and an extraordinarily smart story. I couldn't recommend it more to gamers, but don't let my words mislead you: Free Guy is a blast of entertainment for everyone!
