Free Guy brings the blockbuster cinema experience into our homes

*This is a spoiler-free review*

After many delays thanks to COVID-19, Free Guy has finally been released, with Mariah Carey’s hit song Fantasy playing a surprisingly big part in it.

Free Guy caught my imagination, taking me from my living room into such a sweet, sweet fantasy, baby …

The film revolves around Guy (Ryan Reynolds), a non-playable character in the videogame Free City. Guy has grown tired of his life as a bank teller, unaware he is just programming in a videogame, and wants to shake things up.

Against all odds, he crosses paths with a player named Molotov Girl.

In real life, Molotov Girl is Millie Rusk (Jodie Comer), a code writer searching through Free City for proof that its code was stolen from her own successful videogame.

Millie, along with her game’s co-developer Keys (Joe Keery), work together with Guy to unravel the truth behind Free City’s creation.

Right off the bat, Free Guy delivers on multiple fronts.

Millie (Jodie Comer) and Keys (Joe Keery) discussing news about Free City

It seamlessly transitions between the events in Free City and the real world, allowing the film’s three leads to have equally engaging roles in the story.

Reynolds, Comer and Keery are all incredibly likable, excelling in both comedic and dramatic scenes.

To the film’s great benefit, Comer’s character gets to shine in both worlds. In Free City, Molotov Girl is a witty action hero, while in the real world, Millie is down to earth and determined to save her career.

The film also has a formidable, yet hilarious, antagonist named Antwan Hovachelik (Taika Waititi). Waititi can be a scene-stealer, hysterically ranting and raging quite often, while also giving the three lead characters many obstacles to overcome.

Free Guy also takes advantage of its videogame setting to showcase inventive action scenes.

Free Guy’s theatrical release poster

Whether characters are fighting hand to hand, in a deadly firefight, or crazily speeding through Free City on a motorcycle, the action is constantly engaging and well edited.

The special effects are also used wisely, allowing Free City to look and feel like a real bustling city, rather than overly computer generated and fake.

To highlight the game’s popularity in the film’s universe, there are some fun cameos from popular YouTubers and Twitch streamers, as well as funny surprise celebrity appearances that I won’t give away.

For what could have been just a decent action/comedy popcorn movie, Free Guy ultimately goes far above and beyond that for its viewers.

With a multi-layered story, memorable characters and dynamic action scenes, Free Guy is a good time that you don’t want to miss.