Free Guy

"Life's too short to be a background character."

2021 1h 55m EN

👍

7.4

SOLID

🍅

80%

FRESH

👌

METACRITIC

⭐

7.1

IMDB

★7.4TMDB · 10,246🍅80%Rotten Tomatoes●62Metacritic★7.1IMDB · 487,068

ComedyAdventureScience Fiction

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

A bank teller discovers he is actually a background player in an open-world video game, and decides to become the hero of his own story. Now, in a world where there are no limits, he is determined to be the guy who saves his world his way before it's too late.

“Life's too short to be a background character.”

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Where to watch · US

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Cast

Ryan Reynolds
Guy
Jodie Comer
Millie Rusk / Molotovgirl
Lil Rel Howery
Buddy
Joe Keery
Keys
Utkarsh Ambudkar
Mouser
Taika Waititi
Antwan
Channing Tatum
Revenjamin Buttons
Aaron W Reed
Dude

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Shawn Levy
Writers: Matt Lieberman, Matt Lieberman, Zak Penn
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

$110M budget — tentpole studio territory.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Made its money back 3.0× over at the box office.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Released 5 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Shawn Levy, shot by George Richmond. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Christophe Beck. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Dean Zimmerman shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Ryan Reynolds and Jodie Comer and Lil Rel Howery carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "Life's too short to be a background character.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Shawn Levy directs. George Richmond behind the camera. Christophe Beck scores. Dean Zimmerman cuts. Made its budget back several times over at the box office. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1$110M budget — tentpole studio territory.
2Made its money back 3.0× over at the box office.
3Released 5 years ago.
4Directed by Shawn Levy, shot by George Richmond. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by Christophe Beck. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor Dean Zimmerman shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Ryan Reynolds and Jodie Comer and Lil Rel Howery carry the top of the cast.
8Marketing tagline: "Life's too short to be a background character.".
9IMDB entry: tt6264654 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
1010,246 TMDB user ratings logged — serious cultural footprint.
11Classified under 14 themes, including "hero", "artificial intelligence (a.i.)", "video game", "virtual reality".
12Released under 18 different titles around the world.

The technical file

Cinematography: George Richmond
Original score: Christophe Beck
Editing: Dean Zimmerman
Production design: Ethan Tobman
Costume design: Marlene Stewart
Makeup / hair: Angela Marinis
VFX supervisor: Swen Gillberg
Sound: Angelo Palazzo
Stunt coordinator: Chris O'Hara
Runtime: 115 min · 1h 55m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Budget: $110,000,000
Box office: $331,526,598
Return: 301% of budget
Original language: EN
Certification (US): PG-13
IMDB: Free Guy (2021)
Rotten Tomatoes: 80% 🍅 Fresh
Metacritic: 62/100
IMDB rating: 7.1/10 · 487,068 votes
MPAA: PG-13

Awards

Nominated for 1 Oscar. 6 wins & 30 nominations total

Also by

Shawn Levy

Stills · wallpapers

Selected frames

Full-resolution frames — open one to save it as a wallpaper.

Wallpaper

Trailers & featurettes

Watch the pieces

Community reviews

What people are saying

JW28042021-08-13
★ 10/10
This is such a good movie, its got everything, a bit of sillyness, romance and action, the whole family really enjoyed it in fact the whole audience was laughing and clapping, not something you normally get in an Australian cinema. If you are debating what to watch at the cinemas watch this one its a blast and you wont be disappointed.
Manuel São Bento2021-08-25
★ 9/10
FULL SPOILER-FREE REVIEW @ https://www.msbreviews.com/movie-reviews/free-guy-spoiler-free-review "Free Guy possesses a remarkable tribute to the gaming community, but it's the surprisingly clever, thematically rich screenplay that makes it one of my favorite films of the year. In addition to the impressive visuals, hilarious comedy bits, and thrilling action sequences, Shawn Levy, Matt Lieberman, and Zak Penn offer a brilliant narrative that deeply explores human nature and what the viewers perceive as "real". Superb acting from the entire cast, namely Ryan Reynolds and Jodie Comer, and jaw-dropping cameos genuinely elevate the overall experience. Honestly, it might be the very first movie to prove that Disney owning every major studio also has its perks. What could have been "just a videogame flick" is actually a nerdgasmic, super exciting viewing with emotionally compelling characters and an extraordinarily smart story. I couldn't recommend it more to gamers, but don't let my words mislead you: Free Guy is a blast of entertainment for everyone!" Rating: A
5rJoud2021-09-24
★ 1/10
Ouch and Cringe This "Ready Player One" clone is just as dumb and non-immersive as the original, only here we get our hopes up in the first 20 minutes or so. We get setup nicely with truly funny video game references, top notch CGI and clever dialogue. But then the flick degenerates into the same old, same old: boring villain, plot is unoriginal, action is magic, hacking is imagined by someone not owning a computer (probably just a smart phone) and finally, the philosophical idea of a first AI ever is not explored in the slightest. I know this is just supposed to be a "feel-good" film, but critical thinkers will not feel good watching this drivel. Something this trivial simply does not deserve a high score, even if it does what it's supposed to.