Free Fire (film)

Last updated

Free Fire
Free Fire.png
British release poster
Directed by Ben Wheatley
Written by
  • Amy Jump
  • Ben Wheatley
Produced by Andy Starke
Starring
Cinematography Laurie Rose
Edited by
  • Amy Jump
  • Ben Wheatley
Music by
Production
companies
Distributed by StudioCanal
Release dates
  • 8 September 2016 (2016-09-08)(TIFF)
  • 31 March 2017 (2017-03-31)(United Kingdom)
Running time
90 minutes [1]
CountryUnited Kingdom
LanguageEnglish
Budget$7 million [2]
Box office$3.8 million [3]

Free Fire is a 2016 British action comedy film directed by Ben Wheatley, from a screenplay by Wheatley and Amy Jump. It stars Sharlto Copley, Armie Hammer, Brie Larson, Cillian Murphy, Jack Reynor, Babou Ceesay, Enzo Cilenti, Sam Riley, Michael Smiley and Noah Taylor.

Contents

The film had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival on 8 September 2016, [4] and also served as the closer of the 2016 BFI London Film Festival on 16 October. [5] The film was theatrically released in the United Kingdom on 31 March 2017, by StudioCanal UK, and in the United States on 21 April 2017, by A24.

Plot

On a cold night in 1978, while driving to meet IRA members Chris and Frank, Stevo tells Bernie that he was beaten up the previous day by the cousin of a woman he assaulted. The group meet outside a Boston warehouse with intermediary Justine, and a representative, Ord, leads them inside. The group is there to buy guns from arms dealer Vernon and his associates, Martin, Harry, and Gordon. Despite tensions between the two groups and the fact that Vernon supplied the wrong rifles, the weapons are unloaded from a van and Chris' group hands over the money in a briefcase.

Stevo realizes that Harry was the one who beat him up the day before, and refuses to go near him, irritating Frank. Harry eventually notices and lashes out at Stevo, furthering the tensions between the groups. Stevo seemingly apologises, but then brags about what he did to Harry's cousin. Infuriated, Harry shoots Stevo in the shoulder. Both groups split off and begin shooting at each other. Martin, who was holding the briefcase, is grazed by a bullet in the head and collapses. The briefcase now lies in the open, with Vernon attempting to coerce his men to get it.

Bernie is shot in the back by Vernon as he attempts to leave and dies shortly after. Soon, two hit-men with rifles begin shooting at both groups. One of them, Jimmy, is killed, and the other is recognised by Ord as Howie, who explains that he was hired to kill everyone and take the money. Before Howie can reveal who hired him, he is shot dead by Chris's group. Chris, defending Justine, requests that Vernon's group let her go. Gordon crawls after her, intent on killing her.

As the shooting continues, a telephone rings in one of the offices. Realising that they can call for backup, Chris sends the wounded Frank to the office, pursued by a wounded Vernon. Gordon chases Justine to the warehouse entrance, but she manages to kill him. As Chris, Ord, Stevo and Harry engage in another shootout, Vernon is severely burned by a fire set by Frank but manages to kill him as he reaches the phone.

Martin suddenly regains consciousness and begins deliriously shooting at his own group. He reveals that he planned to double-cross Vernon and hired Howie and Jimmy to kill the others. Martin gets the briefcase, but soon dies from his injuries. After getting past Ord and Harry, Chris reaches the office and kills Vernon. Using the phone to call his associates, Chris is cut off by Ord while Harry distracts Stevo. Returning to the warehouse, Justine takes Jimmy's rifle but passes out.

One of Chris's associates, Leary, arrives at the warehouse in search of his IRA comrades, but is beaten to death by Harry. Taking the briefcase, Harry attempts to escape in the van while being fired at by Stevo and Ord. Harry runs over Stevo's head, killing him, but not before Stevo shoots Harry through the bottom of the van, killing him as well. The fire Frank caused spreads and the sprinklers come on. Exhausted and out of bullets, Ord and Chris agree to stop fighting, take the money, and attempt to escape before the inevitable arrival of the police.

Justine shoots Ord in the head and, unintentionally, Chris in the stomach. As Chris lies on the ground, succumbing to his wounds, Justine tells him she regrets that he got in the way. They exchange some last banter, and Justine limps towards the exit with the money, but the sound of sirens grows louder. When red and blue flashing lights appear under the bottom of the exit, Justine realizes that although she survived, she will not escape.

Cast

Production

In October 2014, Olivia Wilde, Luke Evans, Armie Hammer, Cillian Murphy and Michael Smiley joined the cast of the film, with Ben Wheatley set to direct from a screenplay he wrote with Amy Jump. Wheatley and Andy Starke produced under their Rook Films banner, and Film4 Productions produced and financed the film. [6] In April 2015, Brie Larson replaced Wilde, who had to drop out due to a schedule conflict. [7]

Filming

Principal photography on the film began on 8 June 2015 in Brighton, East Sussex. [8] [9] Production concluded on 17 July 2015. [10]

Most of the film was shot in the former print hall of The Argus newspaper in Hollingbury, Brighton. [11] Dock scenes were filmed at Shoreham Port. [12]

Release

In February 2015, it was announced that StudioCanal had acquired distribution rights to the film in the United Kingdom, while Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions had acquired the rights in Australia, New Zealand, Latin America, Scandinavia and Spain. [13] In November 2015, it was announced that Alchemy had acquired United States distribution rights to the film. [14] However, on 10 March 2016, in the wake of rumours of Alchemy's financial troubles, distribution of the film was bought by A24. [15] The film had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival, and served as the closing night film of the London Film Festival, on 16 October 2016. [5] The film was released in the United Kingdom on 31 March 2017, [16] and in the United States on 21 April 2017. [17]

Reception

Box office

Free Fire grossed $1.4 million in the United States and Canada, and $1.2 million in other territories, for a total of $2.6 million. [3]

In the United States and Canada, Free Fire opened alongside The Promise , Born in China , Unforgettable and Phoenix Forgotten , and was projected to gross around $3 million from 1,070 cinemas in its opening weekend. [18] However, it ended up debuting to $994,430, finishing 17th at the box office. [19]

Critical response

On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, Free Fire has an approval rating of 69%, based on 239 reviews, with an average rating of 6.1/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "Free Fire aims squarely for genre thrills, and hits its target repeatedly and with great gusto—albeit with something less than pure cinematic grace." [20] On Metacritic, which assigns a weighted average to reviews, the film has a score of 63 out of 100, based on 39 critics, indicating "generally favourable reviews". [21]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cillian Murphy</span> Irish actor (born 1976)

Cillian Murphy is an Irish actor. He made his professional debut in Enda Walsh's 1996 play Disco Pigs, a role he later reprised in the 2001 screen adaptation. His early film credits include the horror film 28 Days Later (2002), the dark comedy Intermission (2003), the thriller Red Eye (2005), the Irish war drama The Wind That Shakes the Barley (2006), and the science fiction thriller Sunshine (2007). He played a transgender Irish woman in the comedy-drama Breakfast on Pluto (2005), which earned him a Golden Globe Award nomination.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brie Larson</span> American actress (born 1989)

Brianne Sidonie Desaulniers, known professionally as Brie Larson, is an American actress. Known for her supporting roles in comedies as a teenager, she has since expanded to leading roles in independent films and blockbusters. She has received various accolades, including an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, and a Primetime Emmy Award. Time magazine named her one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ben Wheatley</span> English film and TV director

Ben Wheatley is an English filmmaker, film editor, and animator. Beginning his career in advertising, Wheatley first gained recognition and acclaim for his commercials and short films, before transitioning into feature films and television programmes. He is best known for his work in the thriller and horror genres, with his films frequently incorporating heavy elements of black comedy and satire.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Armie Hammer</span> American actor (born 1986)

Armand Douglas Hammer is an American actor. He began his acting career with guest appearances in several television series. His first leading role was as Billy Graham in the 2008 film Billy: The Early Years, and he gained wider recognition for his double role portraying the twins Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss in David Fincher's biographical drama film The Social Network (2010), for which he won the Toronto Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actor.

<i>Room</i> (novel) 2010 novel by Emma Donoghue

Room is a 2010 novel by Irish-Canadian author Emma Donoghue. The story is told from the perspective of a five-year-old boy, Jack, who is being held captive in a small room along with his mother. Donoghue conceived the story after hearing about five-year-old Felix in the Fritzl case.

Alchemy was an American independent global film distributor based in Los Angeles, California. The company acquired and distributed feature films, television series and specialty programming.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jack Reynor</span> Irish actor

Jack Reynor is an Irish actor. His notable roles include the films Transformers: Age of Extinction, What Richard Did, Glassland, Macbeth, Sing Street and Midsommar, as well as the series Strange Angel and The Peripheral.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">A24</span> American independent entertainment company

A24 Films LLC, commonly referred to as A24, is an American independent entertainment company that specializes in film and television production, as well as film distribution. The company is based in Manhattan.

<i>High-Rise</i> (film) 2015 film by Ben Wheatley

High-Rise is a 2015 British dystopian thriller film directed by Ben Wheatley from a screenplay by Amy Jump, based on the 1975 novel of the same name by J. G. Ballard. The film stars Tom Hiddleston, Jeremy Irons, Sienna Miller, Luke Evans, and Elisabeth Moss.

<i>Captain Marvel</i> (film) 2019 Marvel Studios film

Captain Marvel is a 2019 American superhero film based on Marvel Comics featuring the character Carol Danvers / Captain Marvel. Produced by Marvel Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, it is the 21st film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). The film was directed by Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck from a screenplay they co-wrote with Geneva Robertson-Dworet. It stars Brie Larson as Carol Danvers, alongside Samuel L. Jackson, Ben Mendelsohn, Djimon Hounsou, Lee Pace, Lashana Lynch, Gemma Chan, Annette Bening, Clark Gregg, and Jude Law. Set in 1995, the story follows Danvers as she becomes Captain Marvel after Earth is caught in a galactic conflict.

<i>Room</i> (2015 film) 2015 film by Lenny Abrahamson

Room is a 2015 internationally co-produced survival psychological drama directed by Lenny Abrahamson and written by Emma Donoghue, based on her 2010 novel of the same name. It stars Brie Larson as a young woman who has been held captive for seven years and whose five-year-old son was born in captivity. Their escape allows the boy to experience the outside world for the first time. The film also stars Joan Allen, Sean Bridgers, Tom McCamus and William H. Macy.

<i>Digging for Fire</i> 2015 film by Joe Swanberg

Digging for Fire is a 2015 American comedy-drama film directed by Joe Swanberg and co-written by Swanberg and Jake Johnson. It stars an ensemble cast led by Johnson, Rosemarie DeWitt, Brie Larson, Sam Rockwell, Anna Kendrick, Orlando Bloom and Mike Birbiglia. Johnson and DeWitt play a married couple who find a gun and a bone in the backyard of a house they are staying in.

<i>The Man with the Iron Heart</i> (film) 2017 film

The Man with the Iron Heart is a 2017 biographical action-thriller film directed by Cédric Jimenez and written by David Farr, Audrey Diwan, and Jimenez. An English-language French-Belgian production, it is based on French writer Laurent Binet's 2010 novel HHhH, and focuses on Operation Anthropoid, the assassination of Nazi leader Reinhard Heydrich in Prague during World War II.

Baboucarr Alieu Ceesay is a British actor. He is known for his role in Guerrilla. He also starred as the main antagonist Pilgrim in season 3 of AMC TV series Into the Badlands.

<i>The Cured</i> 2017 film

The Cured is a 2017 Irish horror drama film written and directed by David Freyne in his feature debut film. It stars Elliot Page, Sam Keeley, and Tom Vaughan-Lawlor, and was screened in the Special Presentations section at the 2017 Toronto International Film Festival.

The Gotham Independent Film Award for Best Actress was one of the annual Gotham Independent Film Awards awarded between 2013 and 2020. In 2021, it was replaced by the gender neutral awards for Outstanding Lead Performance and Outstanding Supporting Performance.

<i>Rebecca</i> (2020 film) 2020 film directed by Ben Wheatley

Rebecca is a 2020 British romantic thriller film directed by Ben Wheatley from a screenplay by Jane Goldman, Joe Shrapnel and Anna Waterhouse. Based on the 1938 novel Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier, the film stars Lily James, Armie Hammer, Kristin Scott Thomas, Keeley Hawes, Ann Dowd, and Sam Riley. The film is about the intrigues that arise after a young woman marries a wealthy widower whose first wife, Rebecca, died in a mysterious boating accident.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carol Danvers (Marvel Cinematic Universe)</span> Character in the Marvel Cinematic Universe

Carol Danversls#Cast is a fictional character portrayed primarily by Brie Larson in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) media franchise—based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name—commonly known by her alias, Captain Marvel. Danvers is initially depicted as a U.S. Air Force fighter pilot who was given superhuman abilities when a light-speed engine test went wrong and she was exposed to the cosmic energy of the Tesseract. She was subsequently transformed into a Human-Kree hybrid via blood transfusion and renamed Vers.

References

  1. ↑ "Free Fire". Toronto International Film Festival . Retrieved 29 August 2016.
  2. ↑ "'Free Fall' Director Ben Wheatley Talks Making Movies For $7 Million And U.K. Tax Incentives". Forbes . Retrieved 22 April 2017.
  3. 1 2 "Free Fire (2016)". The Numbers . Retrieved 7 May 2017.
  4. ↑ Pond, Steve (9 September 2016). "Toronto Film Festival Adds Movies by Leonardo DiCaprio, Werner Herzog, Marlon Brando". The Wrap . Retrieved 9 August 2016.
  5. 1 2 Tartaglione, Nancy (1 August 2016). "Ben Wheatley's 'Free Fire' To Close London Film Fest; Martin Scorsese Exec Produces". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved 1 August 2016.
  6. ↑ Barraclough, Leo (24 October 2014). "Luke Evans to Star in Ben Wheatley's 'Free Fire'". Variety . Retrieved 1 August 2016.
  7. ↑ Kroll, Justin (7 April 2015). "Brie Larson Joins Cast of Ben Wheatley's 'Free Fire' (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety . Retrieved 1 August 2016.
  8. ↑ Jagernauth, Kevin (9 June 2015). "Ben Wheatley's 'Free Fire' Starts Filming, Full Cast Confirmed". indiewire.com. Archived from the original on 9 June 2015. Retrieved 13 June 2015.
  9. ↑ Jaafar, Ali (9 June 2015). "Ben Wheatley's 'Free Fire' Rounds Out Cast: Jack Reynor, Sam Riley And Noah Taylor All On Board". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 13 June 2015.
  10. ↑ "On the Set for 7/20/15: Daniel Radcliffe Starts Shooting 'Swiss Army Men', Meryl Streep Finishes 'Florence Foster Jenkins'". SSN Insider. 20 July 2015. Archived from the original on 23 July 2015. Retrieved 7 August 2016.
  11. ↑ "The Argus is given the Hollywood treatment". The Argus. 31 March 2017. Retrieved 6 June 2017.
  12. ↑ "Where was 'Free Fire' filmed?". British Film Locations. Archived from the original on 23 July 2017. Retrieved 6 June 2017.
  13. ↑ Hopewell, John (8 February 2015). "Berlin: Sony Pictures Worldwide Strikes Deal on Wheatley's 'Free Fire' (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety . Retrieved 1 August 2016.
  14. ↑ Fleming Jr and Jaafar, Mike & Ali (12 November 2015). "Alchemy Closes Deal For Ben Wheatley's White-Hot 'Free Fire' – AFM". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved 27 December 2015.
  15. ↑ McNary, Dave (10 March 2016). "A24 Boards Brie Larson's Action-Thriller 'Free Fire'". Variety. Retrieved 10 March 2016.
  16. ↑ Rosser, Michael (30 August 2016). "'Free Fire': Ben Wheatley firing on all cylinders (set report)". Screen Daily . Retrieved 30 August 2016.
  17. ↑ D'Alessandro, Anthony (26 January 2017). "'Their Finest', 'Free Fire' & 'Land Of Mine' Target New Dates". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 26 January 2017.
  18. ↑ "Box Office: 'Unforgettable' to Get Burned by 'Fate of the Furious'". Variety. 19 April 2017.
  19. ↑ "Weekend Box Office Results for April 21-23, 2017". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 28 April 2017.
  20. ↑ "Free Fire (2016)". Rotten Tomatoes . Fandango Media . Retrieved 22 June 2024.
  21. ↑ "Free Fire". Metacritic . CBS Interactive . Retrieved 28 April 2017.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.