Free Guy (2021)
I went to go see Free Guy on a whim, knowing almost absolutely nothing about it. As soon as the movie started it became clear to me that the only way I could fit the target audience for this movie any more perfectly was if they had sat down and pitched the movie for me personally. With that in mind, I’m going to have a clear bias towards this movie in my review because quite honestly, I loved it. I saw it in theaters twice.
I’m going to stay as vague and spoiler free as I can, but if you would rather not sort through my ramblings here are my ratings:
Characters: 5 out of 6
Plot: 4 out of 6
Atmosphere: 5 out of 6
Emotional satisfaction: 6 out of 6
Problematic content: 1 out of 4
Brief off screen nonconsensual crotch grab, played off as a joke.
CW: violence
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Guy (Ryan Reynolds) lives a great life. He gets up for work early, grabs his favorite outfit, buys a nice cup of coffee, and heads over to his 9-5 at the local bank. As someone who has spent time in retail dreaming for that 9-5, honestly it sounds like a fairly decent day. Little does he know that he is actually a NPC in a very popular MMO.
Guy is like a golden retriever with a heart of gold, completely and blissfully unaware that it is not normal that everything is getting blown up around him and the bank he works at gets robbed several times a day. The juxtaposition of everything getting destroyed and him just going about his day is oddly charming. This all changes, however, when he meets a player that goes by the name of Molotov Girl (Jodie Comer).
If it feels like the whole “guy meets girl and his life changes” trope is a little heavy here, it’s because it is. There is a plot relevant reason for this, and Reynolds and Comer are both charming enough in their own right that it was easy for me to look over it. Some of the plot elements ended up being a little too cheesy or romantic or optimistic, but I actually liked that. I feel like that was a perspective I needed in my life right now.
Free Guy is a movie that doesn’t take itself seriously. It’s laden with so much intellectual property that you’ll easily spot the video game references. There are plenty of quips, some awkward dancing, and so many explosions. The inclusion of actual video game streamers in some scenes seems like pandering at best. For all of it’s possible cringe-inducing moments and fanservice, it is still really wonderful.
At the end of the day, Free Guy inspires this sense of wonder and optimism I have been sorely missing for the past year and a half. It’s quirky and fun, and it makes me want to break out of my shell and discover who I am.
If you like Ryan Reynolds, video games, or just want to be reminded that maybe you can find joy when shit is blowing up around you, you may want to check the movie out.