Have you ever wondered what it’s like to live in a video game? Don’t worry, 20th Century Studios “Free Guy” will answer that question for you.  

“Free Guy” follows Guy (Ryan Reynolds), a bank teller in the video game Free City, as he discovers he’s a non-player character, or NPC, in a video game. Realizing that there are no limits, Guy decides to rewrite his life. 

Guy changes the dynamic of the game Free City by playing as the good guy, unlike all the other players in the game who level up by robbing banks, stealing cars, etc. Players of Free City are captivated by how Guy plays the game. Everyone in the real world is talking about the mysterious character who is becoming a rising pro at Free City. 

I was skeptical before going into the movie because movies based on video games have always been a strong hit or miss for me. However, “Free Guy” did not disappoint. 

The plotline was unexpectedly great. At the beginning of “Free Guy,” I thought, “Oh no. This is going to be super complicated and not make any sense.” I was relieved by how well the plotline came together at the end of the movie. 

“Free Guy” is full of action and funny moments. These two elements are balanced well throughout the movie making it not super serious and not too cheesy.

The film will have you on the edge of your seat one moment and laughing the next. I mean, how can we expect any less from a Ryan Reynolds movie? 

The effort “Free Guy” put into each scene is exceptional. 

Free City itself feels familiar. The game is like a mixture between “Grand Theft Auto” and “Fortnite.” The concept is one all gamers know, which makes the movie even more enjoyable for video game lovers. 

The setting of Free City reminds me of Los Santos in “Grand Theft Auto V.” What made me laugh was how the other NPCs in Free City were as clueless as the ones in “GTA.” They even made a joke in the movie about how being in constant danger was considered normal to them. 

I think the characters in “Free Guy”  are what surprised me the most.

The characters I expected to be cringey were actually pretty cool. For instance, I expected Reynolds’ character to be super cheesy, but his good guy persona kept the movie going. Guy connects with the audience as a character who strives to live his life to the fullest. 

The other characters in the film were just as cool as Reynold’s character. Molotov Girl (Jodie Comer) is the classic renegade girl character who influences Guy to rewrite his life. Keys (Joe Keery) is the wisecracking coder who’s always fighting the system for the cause of Free City. Finally, Antoine (Taika Waititi) serves as the antagonist the audience absolutely loves to hate. 

The main characters not only feel real in a video game setting, but the other players and aspects in “Free Guy” are realistic as well. 

“Free Guy” gives the video game community a sense of nostalgia. As someone who was once in touch with the video game community, I felt like I was back in middle school watching YouTubers play “GTA V.” To me, the scattered bits of nostalgia throughout “Free Guy” really made the whole movie worth watching. 

Overall, “Free Guy” exceeded my expectations, and I enjoyed this movie way more than I thought I would. It was a tough call, but I’d have to give this movie a four out of five. 

If you are not into video games, chances are you probably will not like this movie. However, if you are an avid gamer or even a casual gamer like me, you’ll enjoy watching “Free Guy.” Either way, Ryan Reynolds is still in the movie. So what is there to lose?