After the world was shut down due to COVID, businesses such as movie theaters are finally starting to open again. One exceptional movie that is worth leaving the house for is FreeGuy.
FreeGuy is about Free City, an open-world game that has taken the world by storm. Within the game, a NPC (non-playable character) named Guy (Ryan Renolds) has an AI code that is triggered after seeing an attractive player.
After speaking with her, she says that he can’t help her complete a mystery mission unless he increases his level to 100. Guy, still oblivious to the fact that he is in a game, wakes up every morning and, instead of choosing violence, spends his time gaining XP by defeating criminals and helping weak characters. Players are shocked by this NPC who seems to have been hacked and acts as a good samaritan, unlike everyone else who uses the game to virtually commit crime. The news and gaming community are taken aback and popularity for the game grows.
An IT worker at the company who created Free City attempts to figure out the mystery behind the “BlueShirtGuy”. What he finds changes everything. The story continues as new friendships are formed and deceit is uncovered, while audiences are along for the ride leading up to the final reveal that ties everything together.
FreeGuy is revolutionary with its methods of hooking the audience. It includes popular YouTubers and Twitch streamers such as Jacksepticeye, Pokimane, and LAZARBEAM. The film features clips of social media stars reacting to news of events happening in the movie, thus creating a realistic quality to the movie. While celebrities are often hired to make appearances in films, using YouTubers makes the experience much more personal and real. They have a unique pseudo-genuine relationship with viewers that gives fans a feeling of personal connection that can’t be matched by other types of celebrities. But, the movie did still have a quick cameo with Chris Hemsworth which was obviously great.
An aspect of this movie that makes it even more entertaining is the abundance of references to other popular media. During a fight scene, Guy can be seen using both Captain America’s shield as well as Hulk hands, both of which are clear references to the Marvel Universe.
During the same scene audiences see lightsabers used as well as an iconic Fortnite pickaxe. While people may have been surprised by this Easter egg since Fortnite has lost the popularity it once had, the film was set to release July 3rd, 2020, but was delayed due to COVID.
A final reference was to the film Groundhog Day. Freeguy took the same approach when showing the cycle of everyday life being repetitive as was used in the 1990’s self-reflection movie. These Easter eggs are just enough to add to the film without it taking away from the plot.
The cast of FreeGuy consists most notably of Ryan Renolds, Joe Keery, and Lil Rel. Reynolds was perfect for his role because he was able to expand from his previous performance as Deadpool and act as a more innocent and charismatic character.
Joe Keery, best known for his role as Steve Harrington from Stranger Things, rocking the 80’s styled hair, plays a smart coding intern named Keys. I am glad he was cast for this role because he was able to prove that his acting skills are up to par with other A-list celebrities featured in FreeGuy.
Lil Rel acted as the main character’s short and funny best friend. While obviously fitting the role because he is 5’ 6’’ and a comedian, it was also excellent how he truly brought the character to life through facial expressions and body language.
FreeGuy was a solid 9/10 for me. I was on the edge of my seat watching the incredible visuals and action of the story unfold. The inclusion of multiple Youtubers I watch was a pleasant surprise and after the movie was over, my friends and I couldn’t stop chatting about all the neat Easter eggs included. You won’t want to miss this revolutionary film.
