Starring Ryan Reynolds, Jodie Comer, Taika Waititi

Directed by Shawn Levy

Disney, out now

 

A bank teller discovers that he’s actually an NPC (non-playable character) inside a brutal, open world video game.

Ready Player One meets The Truman Show in Shawn Levy’s (Stranger Things) fun, sweet, and at times moving journey into the open world video games.

Guy (Ryan Reynolds, Deadpool) is one of the characters that has things happen to him, or has so little of consequence to do that he’s merely wallpaper. Like an extra (or supporting artist) he exists to make the world that others play in that much more believable. He’s stuck in a Groundhog Day routine of waking up, telling to his goldfish, buying a coffee and going to work at the bank, and then he meets Millie (Jodie Comer, Killing Eve).

Millie wakes him up from his digital slumber and he starts doing things differently, much to the irritation of those around him, and when he puts on some sunglasses he starts to view his world through a heads-up display, spotting power-ups and new lives. Millie is living in the real world and is using the game environment to prove that Antoine (Taika Waititi, What We Do in the Shadows) has stolen the code that she developed with friend Keys (Joe Keery, Stranger Things).

Initially it looks like Reynolds is just going to do his regular Deadpool man-child schtick, but as the movie progresses, so too does his character. There’s some great one-liners, the digital world looks great, and even if Waititi is just a little too broad in his performance, it’s a whole lot of fun. There’s even a strong message about the rights of the NPC, and that just because you can kill them it doesn’t mean you should. There’s also some fun cameos and pop culture references to keep you smiling.

Verdict: Much more than just a Ryan Reynolds comedy, Free Guy has a lot to offer to gamers and non-gamers alike, and is incredibly likeable. 8/10

Nick Joy