Free Guy is a science fiction action film directed by Shawn Levy known as the Night at the Museum series. This film stars Ryan Reynolds, Jodie Comer, Lil Rel Howery, and veteran filmmaker Taika Waititi. With a budget of more than USD 100 million, the movie was supposed to be released last year and was only released last August. Video game-themed movies are no longer new; what is Free Guy trying to offer now?
Guy (Reynolds) is an ordinary man who lives his daily routine as a bank clerk in Free City. Crime is expected in this city, and its citizens seem to have lived side-by-side with gun violence. Once upon a time, Guy felt something strange about himself and the world around him since he met a mysterious, beautiful girl named Millie, aka Molotov Girl. Free City turns out to be an online video game, and Guy is an anomaly or glitch.
From the summary of the story above, the smell of The Matrix is already thick. Indeed, the story has some similarities, but this film is also similar in concept to several other video game films, namely Ready Player One to Tron Legacy. One thing that makes the difference is that the protagonist is digital, aka it doesn’t exist. The story’s core also turns out not to lead to something more profound or existentialist themes like The Matrix. With all its complexities, this film is just a sweet and simple love story.
Interesting premise with the dominance of visual effects, Free Guy gets a great comparison from similar films that are far superior. This film is not as frenetic as Ready Player One, but its comedic side is more than enough to entertain us. This film can indeed lead to a more resounding theme, but in reality, it does not. At least, this film tries to teach us not to be trapped in dreams/fantasy but reality. Guy who is a Non-Player Character (NPC) wants to be free; why can’t we?
