Why is Free Guy back in the spotlight and facing backlash on X? Viral trend explained

The Ryan Reynolds-led action-comedy film Free Guy was widely celebrated upon release in 2021, but a recent viral clip shared by a user on X has reignited debate about its legacy. While some viewers continued to defend the film’s charm and creativity, others argued that it represents the worst of Hollywood’s flashy-but-empty blockbusters.

The renewed conversation has raised questions about why the film is suddenly in the spotlight again and whether it really deserves the criticism being thrown its way.

Why Free Guy is back in the spotlight

A user initiated the sudden resurgence by sharing a behind-the-scenes clip from Free Guy of Taika Waititi, accompanied by a behind-the-scenes commentary from director Shawn Levy, on X. In the clip, Shawn Levy states that Waititi was in his groove and that he elevated an already funny script with his performance. The clip then goes on to show Waititi’s character, Antwan, cracking a series of jokes.

Another user quoted the post, bluntly calling the action comedy film “the worst film ever made.” The tweet has since received thousands of retweets and likes, along with hundreds of comments from users, debating on the topic.

While some agreed with the harsh critique, others pushed back, arguing that calling Free Guy the “worst movie ever” was a massive exaggeration. After all, the film was largely praised upon release, and even earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Visual Effects.

On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, several other films sit at rock bottom with embarrassing scores. Jaws: The Revenge has a rare 2% rating, while Ballistic: Ecks vs. Sever, Gotti, and The Ridiculous 6 all struggled with scores at 0%

The Golden Raspberry Awards (Razzies), Hollywood’s parody ceremony for the worst in film, provide more notorious examples. Catwoman, Jack and Jill, Movie 43, and Battlefield Earth have all taken home multiple Razzie “honors” over the years.

Compared to these true cinematic disasters, Free Guy, a box office hit with generally favorable reviews, seems like an odd film to target.

Whether people are praising Free Guy or tearing it down, the film is back in cultural conversation, something most movies from 2021 can’t claim.

What is Free Guy all about?

The action-comedy film Free Guy, directed by Shawn Levy and written by Matt Lieberman and Zak Penn, was released in theaters on August 13, 2021, in the United States.

The film stars Ryan Reynolds as Guy, Jodie Comer as Millie, and Taika Waititi as Antwan. Lil Rel Howery, Joe Keery, and Utkarsh Ambudkar are a few of the other notable cast members.

It became a commercial success, grossing over $330 million worldwide against a $100–125 million budget.

The film follows Guy, a cheerful bank teller who discovers that he’s actually a non-player character in a massively multiplayer online game. After realizing his reality is a simulation, Guy teams up with Millie to expose evidence that Antwan, the greedy CEO, stole the source code of her game.

Today, interested viewers in the United States can watch Free Guy on Disney+ and Hulu; however, it will require an appropriate subscription to the streaming platform.

Apple TV has also made the movie available in its catalogue for two options, i.e., to rent for $3.99 or purchase for $19.99. For a movie that continues to spark conversations years later—whether praised or criticised—it’s safe to say Free Guy has secured its place in pop culture.

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