Free Guy Movie Review: Sweet Sweet Fantasy
Free Guy is a 20th Century Studios film starring Ryan Reynolds about an NPC who one day discovers that his world is a video game. The video game in the film feels like a combination of the Sims and Grand Theft Auto, where players can roam the city freely and go on missions to wreak havoc, like robbing banks or convenience stores. And as our main character, Guy, becomes more and more conscious about his surroundings, he starts to make his own decisions, set his own rules, and win at the game by being “good.” The movie also becomes an interesting exploration of artificial intelligence, but it stays light-hearted and fun from beginning to end. People will find Guy to be extremely likable and hilariously optimistic. Free Guy also introduced me to the awesomeness of Jodie Comer, who plays the Molotov Girl. Though Comer gets to show off a lot more range in Killing Eve (which I decided to watch after Free Guy), I was super sucked in by her comedic chops. Overall, Free Guy is a summer movie that will make you laugh and have an all-around good time!
While the scenes inside the video game are entertaining to watch, the real heart of the movie lies in the moments outside of the video game. The trailers do a good job hiding the main plots and twists of the story. I thought the main romance was really cute and I surprisingly (or maybe unsurprisingly?) grew more attached to the “real” characters than the video game characters. The music in the film also really adds to the experience. For instance, Mariah Carey’s “Sweet Fantasy” seemed like it would just be a funny theme song played every now and then, but it was actually deeply woven into the plot of the film. I also have to mention how funny it was to me that Christophe Beck, the composer, repurposed his theme song from Paperman to be the background instrumentals for the romantic scenes in Free Guy. I’m sure there must have been a specific reason for that creative decision, and I would love to hear about it.
As a fun and engaging comedy, this movie definitely works and will keep you engaged! It’s full of easter eggs and celebrity cameos that will get any pop culture geek (and especially video game enthusiasts) smiling from ear to ear. It’s a summer blockbuster movie that’s definitely worth your time on the big screen.