Free Guy
{4.5/5} “Don’t have a good day — have a great day.”
Free Guy, released in 2021
Guy works in a bank that gets robbed a lot — he often hangs out with his friend Buddy, who’s the security guard. He’s looking for the girl of his dreams, but he hasn’t met her yet. When he finally meets her, she’s wearing sunglasses — and guys like him don’t get girls who wear sunglasses.
What Guy doesn’t know is that he’s a Non-Player Character in a video game. Millie is trying to prove that Antwan, creator of the game Free City, stole some of it from her — and she thinks proof is inside the game.
This is a delightful premise, executed with lots of fun. It’s the character of Guy, played by Ryan Reynolds, that makes this movie work as well as it does.
There’s a key moment that didn’t make sense. The parts in the software company are less interesting than the parts in the game. But the rest is very enjoyable.
Compared to the similarly themed Ready Player One, this one won’t have you looking at your watch.
Stars Jodie Comer, Joe Keery, and Taika Waititi. Directed by Shawn Levy (Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian).