Easily the best video game film there has been to date and THE blockbuster of the Summer. While I think this is a film that can be enjoyed by anyone, with the expectation going in that it’s a funny, fun-filled flick that shouldn’t be taken too seriously, this film will truly be appreciated by anyone into gaming. The film is stuffed full of references and nods to certain games, but what makes this more than just an IP-filled nightmare is that it uses these aspects in creative and unique ways that are funny and entertaining but also serve as being faithful to the source material or just gaming/computing as a whole.
The idea is conceptually very fun, taking The Truman Show and updating it for the modern era, placing it in an almost GTA V like world. There’s clear influences on the film like The Lego Movie and The Truman Show but it never feels derivative, the film has a clear story it wants to tell and it tells it very well while also being able to saturate itself in easter eggs that feel meaningful. The story has a surprising amount of heart too, I did not expect going into this that Free Guy would be a love story between two adults, that while a little cringy at times, manages to stick the landing very well and wrap everything up quite nicely that it had me invested in the whole relationship storyline. The film is able to simultaneous look at corporate greed and the dangers of conglomerate companies as well in a fun, albeit surface-level, way. It highlights a problem that a lot of smaller creatives face trying to publish work against money-driven companies and that often creativity is dropped for a more financially satisfactory outcome. It was just an incredible surprise to see a blockbuster film like this deal with these sorts of themes and for the most part succeed in tackling it.
The performances are what really make this film as enjoyable as it is though. Ryan Reynolds is fantastic in his role as Guy, his brand of humour shines through at every moment in the film and it really works here. There’s numerous times I was laughing out loud at the jokes being made and for the most part the film has a really good hit ratio with its jokes, this in part to how well Reynolds sells his lines. Jodie Comer is also brilliant, this should come to no surprise to anyone who’s seen her in Killing Eve but she’s an incredible performer and steals the show at some points in this. Alongside her is Joe Keery who again just delivers a really solid and believable performance, between the two actors they are able to sell the “cheesier” lines that without them I’m not sure it would’ve worked. However, as much as I love him and this pains me to write, I think Taika Waititi was jarring in this film. There’s moments where he’s really funny but often his lines don’t hit. It’s not entirely his fault, I think the writing of his character is weak but ultimately, I don’t think his brand of humour, something I usually adore, fits in this film.
Free Guy is the film of the Summer, if you have a chance to see it in IMAX I highly recommend it, there’s some really creative action and the majority of the VFX is well done that is deserves to be seen on the biggest screen. The third act is a little generic but thanks to a cameo and sequence at the end (which is honestly one of my favourite moments of the year) and infusing the ending with as much heart as they did, I think Free Guy is well worth a watch.
★★★1/2
