A shoot ‘em up with as many wisecracks as there are bullets, Free Fire is a stylish and bloody good cracker of an action thriller with much in the way of dark comedy that establishes director Ben Wheatley as a filmmaker of diverse taste and immense skill.

The British born Wheatley has slowly built a reputation as a director who brings a grit, grim and dark sense of humour to his works. From Kill List to High Rise, his stature as a filmmaker to anticipate has grown. Free Fire, Wheatley’s sixth feature film featuring a packed cast and groovy retro look, was no doubt poised to be the film to break him into the mainstream. Yet while box office numbers have not reached expectations, Free Fire is sure to live on as a cult classic of the action movie realm.

Set in late 1970s Boston, the film focuses on an arms deal in an abandoned factory. On one side of the deal there is IRA members Chris (Cillian Murphy) and Frank (Michael Smiley), along with their junkie lackey Stevo (Sam Riley). On the other side, South African arms dealer Vernon (Sharlto Copley) and his associates Harry (Jack Reynor), Martin (Babou Ceesay) and Gordon (Noah Taylor). Facilitating the deal is the dapper Ord (Armie Hammer) and Justine (Brie Larson). Quickly tensions rise between the two parties, leading to a shootout with a suitcase of cash and boxes of guns up for grabs.

Although its set up seems simple enough, Wheatley does a great job in turning a gritty gun fight into a tense and darkly funny action comedy. With retro style in spades and entertaining characters cracking wise while shooting off, Free Fire is a film that is sure to tickle the funny bone while having audiences squirm in their seats, as the motley crew of characters are picked off one by one in ways inventive and most definitely violent. Free Fire is indeed not a film for the squeamish, yet those with a taste for action will find much to love.

A big draw is the excellent performances featured throughout. Cillian Murphy brings an anti-hero cool, Armie Hammer a suave danger, and Brie Larson a bad-ass attitude. Yet the standout is Sharlto Copley, cracking incredibly funny one liners fuelled by his character’s oblivious intelligence and unrivalled ego. One character describes Vernon as an “international asshole”, and Copley swings to the fences in accurately delivering such a portrayal, with his character is one to laugh at and be exasperated by.

Well edited, shot and written, Free Fire hits all its targets, an action thriller sure to make audiences gasp and giggle with ease.