Free Guy

Having a few similarities to Ready Player One, Wreck-It Ralph, and The Matrix, Free Guy stars Ryan Reynolds as a NPC named Guy in a video game based off of the Grand Theft Auto franchise. Not being aware that he's just a character in a video game, Guy doesn't notice how repetitive everything in his life is specially when everything all around him is chaos due to the actions that the players are doing. That is until he notices one particular player, named Millie, who unknowingly makes him aware of the video game he's been living in. The two then team up in order to prove that the code to make this game was stolen from her from a greedy and eccentric game developer. While stories like this have been done before, this movie's mix of fast comedy, balls to the wall action scenes, and drama relaying to creating unique life towards artificial intelligence is how this film really stands out. Alongside Reynolds pulling off his usual charm but with more idealistic qualities than his other roles is Jodie Comer as Millie, Joe Keery playing the other designer of the game, Lil Rel Howery as Guy's best friend, and Taika Waititi in one of his most over the top and fun performances as greedy developer Antwan. Every single person in the cast brings a lot of energy and charisma to their characters, the same goes towards the smaller roles and even quick cameos. One thing that really makes the video game world feel so real that you're highly invested in this digital landscape is the combination of the production design and effects. There's also some of the score from Christophe Beck that perfectly compliments many scenes and the use of some memorable licensed songs that actually fit into the plot. Much like Player One, this movie has a lot of references to other video games and other forms of pop culture. But, it doesn't rely too much on those references and are done sporadically instead of filling up every frame of the shot for one to catch. One huge praise that one can give to the script is how serious and detailed it takes with the concept of video game coding and never having to over explain to the audience. If there are any faults to the script, though just a few, is that some parts of the ending have a few obvious cliches and not all of the jokes and comedic bits stick and can get too long. While Free Guy may not have one of the most original ideas, the originality comes from how it uses its comedy and story concept to create a great satire with some important messages. Over all: 100%

2021 top list so far:

1. In the Heights

2. The Green Knight

3. The Suicide Squad

4. Free Guy

5. Nobody

6. Black Widow

7. A Quiet Place Part II

8. Raya and the Last Dragon

9. Jungle Cruise

10. Cruella

11. Wrath of Man

12. F9

13. Snake Eyes

14. Old

15. Space Jam: A New Legacy