Between the pandemic and theaters only recently being open, going to and sitting down at a theater for a film anymore just isn’t as common. Streaming services have added features where you can see movies right from the comfort of your home instead of going, and some movies now only stream. 

But Free Guy, starring Ryan Reynolds and Jodie Comer, is one definitely worth leaving the house to see, and I don’t say that often. 

Reynolds plays the main character Guy, who lives his life in a simple constant routine. He awakes, greets his goldfish, wears the same outfit, gets the same coffee, and goes to his job at the bank where he and his friend Buddy (played by Lil Rel Howery) chatter while it gets robbed. Guy is content with everything in his life except for the fact that he doesn’t have a partner, he is lonely. 

His life stays in this continual cycle, until one day when Millie (Jodie Comer) walks down the street humming his favorite song. This breaks his trance and he acquires sunglasses to be like the other “sunglasses people” who can fly and have superpowers. 

Moving forward we find out that Guy is actually a non-playing character, also known as an NPC, in the video game called Free City. It turns out that Millie is working against the creator of the game, Antwan (played by Taika Waititi), in a lawsuit to prove that he stole her and her partner Keys (played by Joey Keery) programming for the game and is giving them none of the profits. 

The film then follows Guy as he tries to level up and get Millie’s attention, and Millie as she works to prove Antwan is lying. Guy and Millie are both unaware until halfway through the movie that Guy is an NPC who is now self-aware thanks to Millie and Keys programming. 

The film reminded me of the 2014 film The Lego Movie, with Guy being a lot like Emmet where he is content on doing exactly what is expected and what he has been doing. They have a routine and the same coffee and they go to their job as they say hi to the same people along the way. But their worlds are changed when a rebel-looking woman walks into their life and throws their whole routine down the drain. 

It was a cute feel-good film, where they fight against the injustice being inflicted and the rebel falls in love with the routine freak.

I personally really loved the humor throughout this movie, Ryan Reynolds never disappoints with his acting and the quick and easy humor that he has. 

The references they made throughout the movie as well to other films ad real-world problems really made it for a nerd like me. The clip where he pulls out a Captain America shield to defend himself against Dude, and the screen pans to Chris Evans watching, was hilarious. And then just to pull out a lightsaber and throw Antwan in shock was just great. 

The movie never felt like it was running too long, it kept you engaged the entire time, there was humor, sweet subtle romance, and a good story. 

I would give the movie a 9.0/10, solely because I thought they got rid of Buddy for a minute, and would definitely recommend going to see the film.