Pick of the week
Free Guy
They are collaborating on the new Deadpool film, but actor Ryan Reynolds and director Shawn Levy first joined forces for this effortlessly enjoyable comedy thriller. Reynolds plays Guy, an NPC (non-playable character) in a GTA-style video game who develops self-awareness when he falls for the avatar of Jodie Comer’s Millie – her programmer is surreptitiously exploring his virtual world to try to prove her AI code was stolen. There’s a lot of fun had ribbing gaming culture – the overgrown kids who participate, the gratuitous violence, the inept players (keep on eye on the background for some choice examples) – while Reynolds’s innate charm and wit keep it all running smoothly.
Sunday 21 July, 9pm, Film4