---
title: "Free Guy: the reviews"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/free-guy/reviews"
title_page: "https://film.one/film/free-guy"
critics_score: 64
critics_reviews: 28
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Free Guy (2021): what the critics said

Critics' score 64 from 28 reviews: 13 positive, 11 mixed, 4 negative.

The reviews lean towards qualified enjoyment, with most critics finding warmth and comic energy in Free Guy even when its story disappoints them. Praise clusters around Jodie Comer, whose performances give the gaming adventure emotional weight, while Ryan Reynolds’s sweetness and comic timing win substantial support. The accessible gaming humour, lively action and enthusiastic cast help make it an appealing crowd-pleaser for critics who acknowledge its uneven plotting.

The spread is wide, particularly over how much substance sits beneath the entertainment. Collider finds that the comedy balances gaming culture with larger existential themes; Slant Magazine argues that its appeals for originality and nonviolence are contradicted by familiar franchise material and violent spectacle. Elsewhere, reservations gather around the overstuffed plot, thin social commentary and distracting real-world storyline. Reynolds divides opinion too, with some finding charm where others see a shallow or overly familiar performance.

## The Guardian — Wendy Ide

Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 14 August 2021. 

Ide finds the film an irresistible, unabashedly sweet comedy with appeal beyond young gamers. She praises its goofy enthusiasm and pinballing energy.

[Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2021/aug/14/free-guy-review-ryan-reynolds-jodie-comer-shawn-levy)

## Evening Standard — Charlotte O'Sullivan

Rating 4/5. 13 August 2021. 

O'Sullivan calls it a riotous, highly enjoyable action-comedy and possibly Ryan Reynolds’ best film. She especially praises Jodie Comer’s vulnerable performance and the film’s knowing, accessible gaming humour.

[Read the review](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/free-guy-film-review-ryan-reynolds-jodie-comer-taika-waititi-b949360.html)

## Total Film — Jane Crowther

Rating 4/5. 5 August 2021. 

Crowther finds the film warm, witty, and upliftingly entertaining. She particularly praises its deft screenwriting, which gives the adventure emotional depth and timely ideas.

[Read the review](https://www.gamesradar.com/free-guy-review/)

## Radio Times — Patrick Cremona

Rating 3 stars. 5 August 2021. 

Cremona finds the film broadly enjoyable. He singles out Jodie Comer as its standout.

[Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movies/free-guy-review-comment/)

## The Hollywood Reporter — Frank Scheck

Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 5 August 2021. 

Scheck finds the film an entertaining, enjoyable entry in the video-game movie genre, though its social commentary lacks depth. He praises Ryan Reynolds’s performance and the film’s witty screenplay and technical execution.

[Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/ryan-reynolds-in-free-guy-film-1234992584/)

## Variety — Peter Debruge

Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 5 August 2021. 

Debruge finds the movie an entertaining, surprisingly original crowd-pleaser despite its overstuffed plot and shifting rules. He singles out Taika Waititi’s hilarious, larger-than-life performance as the greedy gaming-company owner.

[Read the review](https://variety.com/2021/film/reviews/free-guy-review-ryan-reynolds-1235035294/)

## The New Yorker — Anthony Lane

Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). 12 August 2021. 

Lane finds the film exhausting but ultimately charming, despite its incoherent and overstuffed spectacle. He especially praises Jodie Comer’s resourceful, amusing performances as Millie and Molotov Girl.

[Read the review](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2021/08/23/trapped-in-a-video-game-with-free-guy)

## Screen Daily — Tim Grierson

Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). 5 August 2021. Festival review. 

The standfirst frames the film as an action-comedy that needs bringing to life. The review text is behind a paywall, so its verdict and specific praise or complaint cannot be determined.

[Read the review](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/free-guy-locarno-review/5162075.article)

## IndieWire — David Ehrlich

Rating C+. 5 August 2021. 

Ehrlich finds the film an irresistible crowd-pleaser whose corporate contradictions ultimately undermine its message. He especially praises Jodie Comer’s charismatic performance, which he says helps hold the film together.

[Read the review](https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/movies/free-guy-review-1234655686/)

## The AV Club — A.A. Dowd

Rating C+. 5 August 2021. 

Dowd finds the film a chipper but derivative crowdpleaser that never reaches the existential depth of its premise. He criticizes Ryan Reynolds for keeping Guy at a shallow, gee-whiz level rather than conveying the character’s underlying desperation.

[Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/the-ryan-reynolds-action-comedy-free-guy-is-a-truman-sh-1847429238)

## RogerEbert.com — Nick Allen

Rating 2.5/4. 11 August 2021. 

The review finds the film likable but overly familiar. It praises Ryan Reynolds’s comic energy while faulting the story’s reliance on video-game clichés.

[Read the review](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/free-guy-movie-review-2021)

## Little White Lies — Leila Latif

Rating 2/3/3. 10 August 2021. 

Latif finds the film entertaining but ultimately a missed opportunity, held back by its real-world storyline and lack of conviction. She praises Reynolds’s comic presence, especially alongside Lil Rel Howery, and the existential moments between their characters.

[Read the review](https://lwlies.com/reviews/free-guy)

## Time Out — Helen O’Hara

Rating 3/5. 10 August 2021. 

The review calls the film fun but throwaway. It singles out the lively barbs between Ryan Reynolds and Jodie Comer in its video-game setting.

[Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/free-guy-2021)

## Slant Magazine — Derek Smith

Rating 1.5/4. 5 August 2021. 

Smith argues that the film’s calls for artistic ingenuity and nonviolence are undermined by its own reliance on familiar intellectual property and violent-game spectacle. He praises the early scenes depicting the repetitive routines of the game’s non-player characters for their clever choreography and pacing.

[Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/free-guy-review-ryan-reynolds/)

## Empire — Nick de Semlyen

Fi1m's normalised score 35/100 (inferred from the text). 5 August 2021. 

The review finds the film visually entertaining but muddled and emotionally thin. It praises Jodie Comer’s performance as a bright spot, while criticizing Ryan Reynolds’s wisecracking and the story’s lack of coherence.

[Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/free-guy/)

## Vulture — Bilge Ebiri

Fi1m's normalised score 35/100 (inferred from the text). 13 August 2021. 

Ebiri finds the film derivative and uninspiring, though Ryan Reynolds makes it watchable. He praises Reynolds’s robotic charm but faults Shawn Levy’s lack of visual imagination.

[Read the review](https://www.vulture.com/article/movie-review-free-guy-with-ryan-reynolds-and-jodie-comer.html?amp=&amp=)

## Los Angeles Times — Katie Walsh

Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 12 August 2021. 

Walsh finds the film glib and smug, with a story weakened by its corporate-property conflict. She notes its easy, breezy take on video game culture, but says it lacks the heart of comparable works.

[Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2021-08-12/free-guy-review-ryan-reynolds)

## Collider — Matt Goldberg

Rating A-. 5 August 2021. 

Goldberg finds Free Guy a joyful, consistently funny crowd-pleaser that balances gaming culture with bigger existential themes. He singles out Shawn Levy’s deft direction and Ryan Reynolds’ charming performance, while criticizing Taika Waititi’s one-dimensional villain.

[Read the review](https://collider.com/free-guy-review-ryan-reynolds/)

## Digital Spy — Ian Sandwell

Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 5 August 2021. 

Sandwell finds the film a hilarious, inventive and joyful blockbuster, though its plot leaves deeper ideas underexplored. He especially praises the lovingly realised video-game world and the appealing cast.

[Read the review](https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a37222060/free-guy-review-ryan-reynolds-jodie-comer/)

## NME

Fi1m's normalised score 82/100 (inferred from the text). 

The critic finds the film tremendously likeable and better executed than many blockbusters, despite a sentimental finish. They praise the lively visuals, gaming-culture send-ups and committed performances, especially Jodie Comer’s dual role.

[Read the review](https://www.nme.com/reviews/film-reviews/free-guy-review-ryan-reynolds-3013017)

## Consequence — Clint Worthington

Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 5 August 2021. 

Worthington finds the film imperfect but surprisingly solid, praising its sincerity and commitment to its hopeful ideas. He singles out Ryan Reynolds’s sweet, restrained performance as a welcome change from his usual fast-talking roles.

[Read the review](https://consequence.net/2021/08/free-guy-review/)

## Film Stories — Katie Smith-Wong

Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 12 August 2021. 

The critic calls Free Guy a hilarious and thoroughly entertaining surprise, despite an uneven narrative. They praise its visual effects, lively action, and celebration of modern gaming.

[Read the review](https://filmstories.co.uk/reviews/free-guy-review-hilarious-and-downright-entertaining/)

## Den of Geek — Matthew Byrd

Rating 3.5/5. 5 August 2021. 

The critic finds Free Guy uneven but ultimately enjoyable, with warmth and absurdity outweighing its wasted potential. The cast’s enthusiasm, especially Taika Waititi’s over-the-top performance, is singled out for praise.

[Read the review](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/free-guy-review-ryan-reynolds-jodie-comer/)

## Eye for Film — Andrew Robertson

Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 13 August 2021. 

The critic finds the film entertaining, summery and inconsequential, while still well constructed and catchy. They praise its original humour and engaging construction, but note shortcomings in its handling of female characters and videogame logic.

[Read the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/free-guy-2021-film-review-by-andrew-robertson)

## The Wrap

Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). 12 August 2021. 

TheWrap finds the film enjoyable and mildly compelling, though less inventive and articulate than it thinks it is. It praises Jodie Comer’s performance and the film’s heartfelt spectacle, while criticizing its racial politics and corporate-feeling franchise nods.

[Read the review](https://www.thewrap.com/free-guy-film-review-ryan-reynolds-jodie-comer/)

## HeyUGuys — Luke Walpole

Fi1m's normalised score 60/100 (inferred from the text). 

Walpole finds Free Guy an entertaining, solid blockbuster that tries to cover too much and feels derivative. He praises Jodie Comer and Joe Keery for bringing authenticity to the real-world storyline.

[Read the review](https://www.heyuguys.com/free-guy-review/)

## Paste — Jesse Hassenger

Rating 4.5. 13 August 2021. 

Hassenger finds that the film squanders its promising ideas with noisy distractions and clumsy comedy. He praises the sweetness and sparks in Reynolds and Comer’s scenes, while criticizing the exposition-heavy real-world plot and Taika Waititi’s performance.

[Read the review](https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/ryan-reynolds/free-guy-review)

## /Film — Shania Russell

Fi1m's normalised score 50/100 (inferred from the text). 16 August 2021. 

Russell finds Free Guy entertaining and charming, but ultimately hollow and underwhelming. She praises the chemistry between Jodie Comer and Joe Keery, while faulting the film’s cliché romance and reliance on familiar franchise references.

[Read the review](https://www.slashfilm.com/583438/free-guy-spoiler-review-dont-hate-the-game-hate-its-many-contradictions/)

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/free-guy.md