Free Fire: Movie Review

Free Fire: Movie Review
A shootout, a shootout and er a shootout



Free Fire is a tricky one. It is not a bad movie. Part of the problem is though, that perhaps it doesn’t know quite what to be. It’s very, very funny in places; but it’s not a comedy. It’s got all the elements of a thriller; but not particularly thrilling. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a good enough movie, but it could have been better, perhaps if the tone had been altered. It doesn’t manage to be a belting black comedy as successfully as Very Bad Things for instance, or more recently, The Nice Guys.

The set up is that we have various parties coming together, to carry out an arms deal. Chaos ensues, along with many double crosses and many, many Mexican standoffs. To be fair; the majority of the movie is one protracted shoot out. In saying that- it is handled well and it is hilarious in places. Some of the best lines were given to Sharlto Copley and Michael Smiley. The cast in general are good, and it is an ensemble piece movie. It feels like the film should not have just stayed mostly in one room and that there was not quite enough real drama or suspense to hang it on, in the same way that say Reservoir Dogs did have.


Overall, I preferred it to Ben Wheatley’s last outing- High Rise, despite that boasting another wonderful cast and it being filmed in my own town’s disused leisure centre! Free Fire is good entertainment and some people will absolutely love it, and relish in its seventies vibes. I was a wee bit disappointed. It’s a pity that Cillian Murphy wasn’t given more to do also. You might be better off waiting for the new series of Peaky Blinders.


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