Spoilers prefer a nice nerf battle.

If you’ve wondered if they could do a whole movie about that last scene of the movie with the all-out shoutout, you’re getting your wish. Now, given this is an action comedy, I will put your mind at ease in saying there are no skits or bits thrown it. This is a very straight crime caper shootout. The comedy is incidental. The criminals in this particular film universe are a mixed bag of mostly toxic personalities so insults and bullets are expected to fly naturally.

(Credit: A24)

Free Fire (2016) is directed by Ben Wheatley who wrote it with Amy Jump. Two members of the IRA, Chris (Cillian Murphy) and Frank (Michael Smiley) are buying weapons through their contact, Justine (Brie Larson). The sellers are Vernon (Sharito Copley) and Martin (Babou Ceesay) through their own broker, Ord (Armie Hammer). Each side brings along their own team to either deliver or pick up the merchandise, but unfortunately for everyone, two of them happen to have had been in an earlier fight. The moment they recognize each other it takes a spark for all hell to breaks loose.

It works only as light entertainment. It has scarce plot, no character development and survives only on how charismatic and/or toxic its characters can be. It’s like watching professional wrestling. The fight is all we care about. Eventually everyone gets shot and are still moving but crawling around for cover. It’s slapstick comedy with bullets. It does have some entertainment value at least for a single sitting, but don’t expect any more than that. Of everyone in the cast, Sharito Copley stands out for playing the asshole we love to hate, Vernon. Not that there’s any redeemable quality in him.

Lightly recommended just for one of those nights you’re up for some silly action and banter but not much sense. That being said, at its core it’s still above the mediocre lackluster stereotype by keeping things simple. No superhero cop, no criminal supervillan. They’re all criminals and once the shooting starts, you need not remember plot or reason. Worth a watch only for a single shot.

That will do for now.