Free Guy (2021)

Most people think so. 78% of audiences gave it a thumbs up, by Google's archived audience score. Critics agree, scoring it 71%.

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. Wikipedia ↗

Free Guy is a 2021 American science fiction action comedy directed by Shawn Levy. Ryan Reynolds stars as Guy, a cheerful, oblivious NPC (non-player character) in an open-world video game called Free City who becomes self-aware after encountering Molotov Girl, the avatar of a programmer named Millie, played by Jodie Comer, who is searching for evidence that the game's publisher stole her code. Once Guy realizes his world is a game, he begins defying his programming, leveling up by performing heroic deeds instead of criminal ones, and becoming an internet sensation known as "Blue Shirt Guy" while helping Millie prove the theft.

Free Guy arrived at a moment when gaming culture had become mainstream entertainment, and the film's affectionate, knowledgeable treatment of gaming tropes — respawning, NPCs, loot drops, and the exploitative practices of game publishers — resonated with gaming audiences while remaining accessible to general viewers. Ryan Reynolds's trademark charismatic sarcasm was tempered by Guy's genuine innocence and optimism, creating one of the actor's most likeable characters. The film earned $331 million worldwide on a $125 million budget.