Ryan Reynolds’ “Free Guy” performance captivates viewers

Shawn Levy’s 2021 movie “Free Guy” is a kaleidoscope of action, comedy, science fiction and of course, every heterosexual man’s favorite crush: Ryan Reynolds.

Following the footsteps of “The Truman Show,” “The Matrix” and “Ready Player One,” its plot dances on the hypotheticals of a programmed reality. Imagine you were a character in a video game. Then, imagine you know you’re a character in a video game—a non-playable character (NPC, if you will). You’re able to bypass your programming and see your life for what it really is: a series of repeated patterns.

That’s exactly the problem Guy (Ryan Reynolds) comes to face. He exists in a video game called “Free City,” doing the same things every day. He wakes up, he greets his goldfish, he gets the same order of coffee and he goes to work at the bank, where everyday there’s a robbery. There’s only one tangible thing missing: someone to love.

Which is why, after meeting a woman named Millie, he’s able to grow outside of his coding. Only, this woman isn’t an non-playable character just like him; she’s the creator of the game. Free Guy isn’t exactly easy to wrap your head around, but that’s the fun of it. It’s intentionally complex. It makes you wonder about the possibility of artificial life and the authenticity we should assign to it.

Overall, I found the acting superb. Reynolds is a fantastic lead as the oblivious and likable Guy. Utkarsh Ambudkar as a coder was a fun surprise—(I see you, Donald from Pitch Perfect). Jodie Comer was a new face for me as Millie, but she suited her role well, as did Joe Keery, who plays her co-creator. At this point, I’ve been listening to Djo, watching “Stranger Things”, and now this—what can’t Keery do?

The only role I didn’t enjoy was antagonist Antwan, played by Taika Waititi. However, I think this can be attributed to how he was written, not how he was performed by Waititi. Outlandish and bizarre, the moment he strides out in moon boots, it’s hard to take him seriously. We’re all familiar with an egotistical, money-hungry boss; but does he have to look like Napoleon Dynamite’s pipedream?

For a movie so drenched in artificiality–I mean, it literally takes place inside a video game—I did not expect “Free Guy” to be so heartfelt. It had humor, it had creativity and it even made me say “aww” a couple times. It’s not the first movie to explore the line between reality and programming, but it holds its own. That’s something I can respect.

If you’re not easily confused by technology (looking at you, Mom and Dad) and enjoy a movie that both entertains and makes you think, I recommend Free Guy. It is, after all, been said to be a “love letter to the art of computer programming,” and I cannot think of a more fitting description.

I give “Free Guy” 4 out of 5 stars, and hope to see more on artificial intelligence in the future.