Director:Â Ben Wheatley
Cast:Â Sharlto Copley, Armie Hammer, Brie Larson, Cillian Murphy, Jack Reynor, Michael Smiley, Sam Riley, Noah Taylor
Running Time: 91 mins
Rating: 15
Release Date: March 31st, 2017
Ben Wheatley unleashes hilarious mayhem on a gun deal gone wrong in an abandoned warehouse, with a cast of game character actors along for the ride. Known for his ventures into horror, like the cult success of KILL LIST or the psychedelic weirdness of A FIELD IN ENGLAND, Wheatley’s prevalent jet black humour is evermore present in FREE FIRE. Essentially a live action LOONEY TUNES film, the plot revolves around two gangs meeting for a gun deal that spirals out into a night of blood, bullets and double crossing. On one team you have Cillian Murphy, Michael Smiley, Sam Riley and Enzo Cilenti versus Sharlto Copley, Armie Hammer, Jack Reynor, Noah Taylor and Babou Ceesay. Not to mention Brie Larson as the go-between caught in the middle – it’s a stacked cast but perfectly balanced, with nearly everyone getting enough time to make an impression and, most importantly, being developed enough that you root for them. Noah Taylor and Enzo Cilenti‘s characters are shortchanged in this regard but the two still get their own moments.
Like a less indulgent and more controlled Tarantino, Wheatley has an ear for quotable lines (he co-wrote the script with frequent partner Amy Jump) and for fenzied set pieces. It isn’t long before people get set on fire, heads shot and, in one particular case of Wheatley’s love of gore, heads crushed. But Wheatley knows how to control his material and his grasp on the film is a giddy experience; it’s telling that the idiots in his film could easily resolve their situation if they just all put their guns down. No sides are taken and everyone is to be rooted for, whether it’s Hammer’s slick American ‘Ord’, Copley’s erratic dealer ‘Vernon’ (“Watch and Vern”) or Murphy’s put upon ‘Chris’. Copley is a revelation though, turning in a performance that threatens to steal the film in its comic irrelevance; Vernon is a brilliant creation, a lover of tailor made suits and money, Copley’s shrieking in his distinctive South African accent could have become grating in lesser hands but here it’s a highlight.
While the film may be light on plot or revelations, the few turns here and there aren’t as surprising as the film thinks they are, Wheatley’s energetic script and cast more then carry the film through its brisk 91 minute running time. Wheatley is sure to layout the warehouse before the deal goes wrong, ensuring the question of ‘who is where’ is easily answered. While the film might start to flag towards the end as the numbers whittle down and the bare bones plot really starts to show, it’s still a fun ride to the end, one riddled with hilarious one liners, darkly funny set pieces and lots, and lots of bullets.
RATINGÂ
