Free Guy – A Consistently-Funny And Original Action Comedy

Free Guy follows Guy (Reynolds), a bank teller who discovers that he is nothing more than an NPC in an online video game. Soon after, he teams up with a woman named Millie (Comer) to take down Antwan (Waititi), the game’s creator, before he deletes him and his entire world forever.

In the history of film, so many concepts have sounded great in theory before some end up dropping the ball on their execution. Fortunately, that was certainly not the case with Free Guy. Writers Matt Lieberman and Zak Penn understand how to take an idea and gradually develop a story that is consistently funny, heartwarming, and entertaining. While the theme of a protagonist becoming self-aware of their world and existence has been done before, the open-world video-game environment in this film makes for a modern take that is full of unique story directions and jokes, staying fresh, and delightful throughout. Even for a video game character, one can’t help but connect with Guy as he goes on a journey of self-discovery, finding out who he really is and what his life has been, something that can feel all too familiar to viewers. It also helps that Reynolds once again delivers a lively and energetic performance. He is constantly in awe of everything and everyone around him, which is a clever way to introduce the audience to a brand new world they have never seen before.

Meanwhile, there is no shortage of world-building here, as there are gorgeous landmarks that make up the game world known as Free City, such as hideouts, homes, and venues. Several side characters also get their own time to shine, like Guy’s best friend, Buddy (Lil Rel Howery), or a barista that wants to make cappuccinos, which is meta in its own right when that is what Guy is going through himself. Going beyond the video game world, it is incredibly easy to get bored by the mundane legal talk in the real world. However, Millie and Walter’s (Joe Keery) constant wit and jokes keep up the momentum whenever the focus shifts away from Guy. Instead of being a typical love interest that does nothing more than motivating the hero to save the day, Millie has her own compelling narrative that is just as interesting as Guy’s. Jodie Comer is widely known for her award-winning performance in the drama Killing Eve, but Free Guy gives her many moments to show off her comedic talent as well as her electrifying chemistry with Reynolds.

As entertaining as Antwan is to watch with his outrageous outbursts and questionable comments to his staff, he is given little to no development to understand why he acts the way he does. But when so much time is given to other characters’ motivation, it is a personal choice as to whether or not that is a bother. Either way, Guy’s journey and arc over the course of the film is sure to be the most fun some viewers have had in a theatre in a long time. As the pop culture references start flowing every couple of seconds, it is easy to feel the collective excitement audiences as they recognize iconic items, characters, and musical themes.

In the end, after a lackluster summer, Free Guy is a fun action blockbuster that takes full advantage of its premise. The film delivers a bright, fast-paced eye-feast accessible to anyone who enjoys a mindless time at the theatre.

still courtesy of 20th Century Studios

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Shawn Peer