In a future where a virtual reality game is played by everyone, the
​players seek an Easter egg that will win them the creator's fortune.

ACTION/SCI-FI

Ready Player One (2018)

Directed by Steven Spielberg

Written by Zak Penn and Ernest Cline

Starring Tye Sheridan, Olivia Cooke, Ben Mendelsohn,
Lena Waithe, T.J. Miller, Mark Rylance, Simon Pegg,
Philip Zhao, ​Win Morisaki, Hannah John-Kamen

​Based on the novel by Ernest Cline

Oscar Nominations - Best Visual Effects

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Connor Eyzaguirre

April 1, 2018

9/10

Ready Player One is one of the most creative and ambitious stories ever told, and I think only Steven Spielberg could do it justice on the big screen. Lo and behold, his adaptation is an amazing movie that easily takes my top spot for best film of the year so far. Never in my life did I think I would see Doc Brown's DeLorean, the Iron Giant, Mechagodzilla, and the Overlook Hotel from The Shining all in one incredible adventurous movie. For that alone, Ready Player One is the ultimate geek fantasy movie.

In the year 2045, the world has been taken by a storm by the virtual reality world called the Oasis, where people can live out their biggest pop culture fantasies. When the creator of the Oasis, James Halliday (Mark Rylance) dies, he leaves behind a quest for the players to embark on. Three clues lead to three keys which leads to his billion dollar fortune and control of the Oasis. Mild-mannered Wade Watts (Tye Sheridan) finds the first key, and chaos ensues when the evil corporate stooge Nolan Sorrento (Ben Mendelsohn) hunts him down in the real world. The story is highly engaging, the characters are charming yet real, and the visuals are remarkably stunning. There's a scene where the characters literally go into The Shining. Spielberg recreates the atmosphere and paranoia of the Overlook perfectly, making for one of the most incredible scenes ever filmed in movie history.

I enjoyed every second of this nerdgasm. You can tell it was written by someone who appreciates the importance of pop culture, particularly 80's pop culture. Movies and video games helped shape who we've become, and they continue to influence us in ways we could never imagine. Films like Ready Player One are only possible because of the vast treasure trove of pop culture that's available to us because of visionaries and revolutionaries who dared to dream of something amazing. One day, this film will be ranked among those it was influenced by as a pop culture masterpiece.