Netflix Is Streaming Cillian Murphy And Brie Larson's 2016 Action Flop That Needs More Fans

As the biggest streamer in the game, Netflix needs a constant supply of "content" to satiate its subscribers. Luckily, film history is strewn with forgotten and underseen movies, and the streamer has become pretty adept at sifting through the cinematic sediment to unearth them. For example, Netflix previously unearthed the 2007 Emily Blunt-led supernatural horror movie "Wind Chill," and now it's got "Free Fire," a Cillian Murphy and Brie Larson-starring action comedy that's well worth a watch.

"Free Fire" was directed by Ben Wheatley, who also co-wrote the script with Amy Jump. The British filmmaker's first directorial effort was 2009's "Down Terrace" but he's since made multiple movies, many of which have become cult classics like the psychological horror flick "Kill List," and the stylish Tom Hiddleston-led dystopian nightmare "High Rise." Wheatley had even directed several memorable "Doctor Who" episodes before he surprised everyone by signing on to direct the silly 2023 shark sequel "Meg 2: The Trench." That Jason Statham actioner was, however, an aberration in the grand scheme of Wheatley's filmography as almost all his other projects have been smaller, indie-style ventures, "Free Fire" included.

Like so many Wheatley films, "Free Fire" defies easy explanation. Put simply, the 2016 movie is one long shoot out between a bunch of gangsters and arms dealers. But it's the little touches of humanity and the comedic sensibility that make "Free Fire" such a delightfully offbeat ride.

Set in 1978, "Free Fire" stars Cillian Murphy as Chris, an IRA member who, along with several other members of his group, meets with arms dealers at a warehouse in Boston. Brie Larson, meanwhile, plays intermediary Justine alongside Armie Hammer as another dealmaker who represents the arms dealers. It's a bit of a bummer that Hammer's in the film, considering he has been accused of sexual assault by several women. And while he's repeatedly denied the claims, Hammer's attempt to mount a Hollywood comeback with one of the worst directors ever hasn't done much to help his image, and he remains persona non grata in the industry. So, yeah, it's not great seeing him in "Free Fire." But if you can get around his appearance, a good film awaits.

After Chris and his crew meet with Sharlto Copley's arms dealer Vernon and his associates, all seems to be going well. The guns aren't what the IRA members ordered, but they pay anyway, and the weapons swap hands. Then, all hell breaks loose. Tension mounts between the two sides until shots are fired, leading to a protracted shootout from which there seems to be little hope of escape.

As director Ben Wheatley explained during a behind-the-scenes featurette from Film4, the genesis of the film was actually a set of FBI ballistics reports. According to Wheatley, these provided "blow-by-blow descriptions of what happens" in gunfights, and it turns out they're "really messy." That tiny tidbit essentially became the basis for "Free Fire," which is an extended gun fight that, with its strong comedic sensibility and slapstick moments, both celebrates and deconstructs what is one of the most enduring tropes in the history of film.

As Cillian Murphy told Film4, once he heard about "Free Fire," he "begged" Ben Wheatley for a role. The actor was a fan of his work and luckily, the director was all too happy to oblige. Ben Wheatley spoke to /Film about "Free Fire" back in 2017, where he confirmed he'd written the role of Chris specifically for Murphy and described his film as "a series of kind of cascading jokes and physical gags and missions." That seems to have been a recipe for success.

"Free Fire" garnered positive reviews upon its release and maintains a 69% score on Rotten Tomatoes to this day. In /Film's "Free Fire" review, Angie Han wrote, "The third-act shootout is a staple of a certain kind of film, but in Ben Wheatley's 'Free Fire,' it's essentially the entire movie. Against all odds, it works." Elsewhere, Richard Roeper of the Chicago Sun-Times gave the film three out of four stars and opined that "the ways in which Wheatley moves the excellent cast around the warehouse are impressively creative." Letterboxd users mostly seem to like the movie, too, with one describing it as a "real-time pistol opera about how men are too stupid to have guns." That description alone should be enough to at least pique your interest.

Unfortunately, "Free Fire" didn't make much of a stir when it first arrived back in 2016. It premiered at the 2016 Toronto International Film Festival ahead of a theatrical release in the United States in April 2017, yet it only made $3.8 million at the box office on a $7 million budget. But again, if you can overlook the Armie Hammer of it all, you can now give the movie some love by streaming it on Netflix.