The success of Free Guy has lasted longer than many would have predicted, with the movie’s release on home media accruing as much hype as when the movie was released. Now that Free Guy is available to watch at home, some fans might want to watch some other movies that follow a similar concept or formula.
There are plenty of other movies that have a premise of an unsuspecting individual stumbling upon an adventure and learning that life isn’t as it seems. Along the same lines, there are also films that have elements that Free Guy fans will appreciate. Quite a few of these vary in genre, which should provide a good way for fans to broaden their viewing horizons.
Paper Man (2009) - Available On Amazon Prime Video
While there were some superhero cameos in Free Guy, Ryan Reynolds plays a superhero figure in Paper Man. The story is about Jeff Daniels’ character, Richard Dunn, who suffers from writer’s block and relies on his childhood imaginary friend for support (Reynolds).
Free Guy fans will see the resemblance to the plot between the main character finding solace in a person who doesn’t exist, which was the case with Guy (Reynolds) and Millie (Jodie Comer). Paper Man ventures more into dramatic territory and deals with the importance of moving on from the past.
The Truman Show (1998) - Available On Netflix
As a nonplayable character, Guy had no idea he was living in a world where everyone was watching him. The Truman Show has this concept on a grander scale, depicting Jim Carrey’s titular character as the unwitting protagonist of a reality TV show.
Where Free Guy deals with the gaming universe, this one shows how people can turn a person’s life into a source of entertainment. Truman has to face extreme challenges in life purely for the TV show’s dramatic purposes and eventually tries to escape once he figures out what’s happening.
Pixels (2015) - Available On Netflix
This movie might just rival Free Guy’s gaming references, as the story here has Earth attacked by an alien race using technology from video games. Pixels features elements from games, like Pac-Man and Donkey Kong, with the protagonists fighting back using the same methods.
It should be next on fans’ watch lists for those who loved Free Guy’s atmosphere and Pixels certainly has enough larger-than-life visuals to bring a similar experience. The ensemble cast is a huge benefit because it provides multiple avenues for comedy.
Back To The Future (1985) - Available On Amazon Prime Video
While the story of Back to the Future isn’t anything like Free Guy, Ryan Reynolds has claimed the movie was an inspiration. It comes down to the sense of wonder that Marty McFly feels when he goes to the past and finds himself in a race against time to ensure his parents get together so his birth remains intact.
RELATED: 10 Biggest Grand Theft Auto References In Free Guy
Free Guy did amaze viewers much in the same way as Back to the Future did by bringing forward a unique story. Marty’s adventures in the past also carry sweet sentiment as he ends up making his parents’ love stronger while setting up a sequel hook. Free Guy has also planted seeds for a follow-up, and the similarities in thematic quality between both movies can be seen.
Bliss (2021) - Available On Amazon Prime Video
Owen Wilson plays Greg, a man who is told by Salma Hayek’s Isabel that he lives in a simulation that she has created. Greg goes through multiple iterations of Isabel’s world and realizes that things might not be as she claims.
Guy’s world is turned upside down when he learns from Millie that his whole life was a lie, and Bliss treads the same subject matter in a dramatic setting. The movie doesn’t make it clear if Greg really is in a simulation or if he’s hallucinating, but it’s his strange partnership that is meant to be the main framing device.
The Lego Movie (2014) - Available On Netflix
In The Lego Movie, Chris Pratt voices Emmett Brickowski, who uncovers Lord Business’ evil plan to glue everything in the Lego universe in his image. Emmett teams up with the spirited Wyldstyle to put an end to Lord Business.
The story sounds almost exactly like Free Guy on paper, in that an everyman character is whisked into foiling an evil boss figure with and has an empowering love interest, who’s much tougher than he is. The Lego Movie’s presentation is also reminiscent of Free Guy’s simulation, but it has the benefit of a family-friendly setting. This makes the movie worth a watch with both children and adults with the low-stakes plot placing comedy as its main aspect.
Blade Runner (1982) - Available On Amazon Prime Video
Harrison Ford stars as Rick Deckard in Blader Runner, where the protagonist has to hunt down replicants, who are synthetic humans that he’s tasked with “retiring.” His adventures result in him realizing that the powers that be are up to even more misdeeds.
Blade Runner should suit the Free Guy fans who enjoy different styles of the same concept. This movie also has the protagonist learn the reality of his world and go on a journey to expose the truth. It’s strictly for adult audiences but Blade Runner crafts such a dynamic world of its own that it’s hard not to get completely involved.
Being There (1979) - Available On Amazon Prime Video
Peter Sellers stars in this satirical film where Chance, a gardener who has never left his estate, ends up finding great success due to a series of misunderstandings. Chance has no idea how to function in the world after he’s evicted but eventually becomes a presidential advisor after everyone mistakes his naivete for wisdom.
It doesn’t have science fiction elements like Free Guy but Being There’s protagonist is very much like Guy, who is eternally positive and whose out-of-touch attitude is charming. Fans can check this movie out to see how Guy would have fared had he managed to leave the video game world.
Ready Player One (2018) - Available On HBO Max
This is one of the movies that should ideally be seen before Free Guy for the largely identical plot. Guy had to figure out a way to save himself from deletion, while Ready Player One has the main character, Wade (Tye Sheridan), try to find out where the keys to unlock a fortune are stored within a virtual reality game.
Much like Free Guy, the protagonist has a great partnership with his female love interest (Samantha, who is played by Olivia Cooke), who has the same quest. Directed by Steven Spielberg, Ready Player One’s effects are off the charts and Free Guy fans should find this a refreshing world that looks different despite the similar plotlines.
Gamer (2009)
In this gritty action thriller, Gerard Butler plays Kable, a man forced to be the avatar for a gamer and who is in search of his wife trapped in a similar conundrum. Kable forms an understanding with his gamer and the two fight through the game to confront its creator.
If Free Guy were to have been an R-rated feature, then there’s little doubt it would’ve ended up as what Gamer ultimately is. The movie is violent and brutal, which should appeal to Free Guy fans who don’t shy away from gory details. It retains many video game movie tropes like Free Guy does and can be seen as a live-action version of a first-person shooter.