Episode 67: Free Guy and The Matrix

Cinema in Context

Virtual reality worlds. Sarah Watt, Jeremy Downing and William Chen discuss Free Guy (2021) and The Matrix (1999). We begin by praising The Matrix, directed by Lilly and Lana Wachowski aka "The Wachowskis". We talk about various memorable shots and sequences, and drawing connections to manga, anime, Hong Kong cinema, Shrek (2001), Swordfish (2001), Jet Li's The One (2001), the work of John Woo, and Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003). We reflect upon the lobby shoot-out scene and the state of gun violence in the United States of America, particularly the Columbine High School massacre that would occur three weeks after the release of The Matrix. We look at the year 1999 and how it was a turning point year, as the film suggests, with the 9/11 attacks just around the corner, Y2K bug - with a shout out to the podcast You're Wrong About - and the rise of the internet. We make further connections to the work of Robert Rodriguez, the sequels Matrix: Reloaded and Matrix: Revolutions, and a range of work that came before and a multitude of influences moving forward. We shift our praise of The Matrix to its story, including high stakes your care about, the Eastern philosophy, the critique of the status quo of inequity and control in the role, trans-ness and the transitioning allegory, and the core love story. However, there are also some disturbing influences of the story, like the rise of trench coat-wearing terrorists and red-pilling. We then consider films that connect The Matrix to Free Guy, including John Carpenter's They Live (1988), The Lego Movie (2014), Space Jam: A New Legacy (2021), and with a quote from BoJack Horseman (2014-20). Our conversation then moves to focus on Free Guy, highlighting it's homage and hat-tipping to other films, like Star Wars (1977) and the Marvel Cinematic Universe. We highlight the strengths of the film, especially the storyline focused on Jodie Comer and Joe Keery, which explore feminine and masculine gaming sensibilities. We decry the performance of Taika Waititi in the film, as well as Shawn Levy's direction of his improvisation, comparing it to the Ocean's Eleven sequels and Judd Apatow films. We continue to connect the film to Dark City (1998), The Truman Show (1998), Inception (2010), Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (2017), the work of John Hughes, Her (2013), and Alien: Resurrection (1997).