Ready Player One
In a harsh 2045, a young gamer and his allies race through a reality-bending virtual contest before a ruthless corporation can own the world where humanity escapes.
Overview
In a world where reality is bleak, escape into a vibrant digital universe awaits.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Breakneck
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Moderate
- propulsive
- playful
- nostalgic
- blockbuster night
- video game movie marathon
What critics said
Critics generally found the film an energetic, visually dazzling Spielberg adventure whose nostalgic pleasures and inventive virtual-world spectacle outweigh its thinly developed themes and characters.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Wade alternates between the impoverished real world of 2045 and the OASIS, where the central contest unfolds.
Halliday's contest and the OASIS are structured around dense film, game, music, and genre references, including a major horror-film homage.
The 2045 world combines social hardship, immersive virtual reality, and Sorrento's attempt to seize control of the OASIS.
Halliday leaves his fortune and total control of the OASIS to whoever completes his three-part treasure hunt.
Films like Ready Player One, and why
The Matrix
shares cyberpunk world-building, virtual reality escapism, corporate oppression, and high-concept action spectacle
Tron: Legacy
shares game-like quest structure, futuristic adventure, digital worlds, and an ensemble of young protagonists
Minority Report
shares Spielbergian spectacle, dystopian adventure, pop-culture nostalgia, and a youthful hero confronting an authoritarian system
Avatar
shares virtual-reality identity play, romance across mediated environments, and tension between simulated and physical life
Movie Details
- Director
- Steven Spielberg
- Release Date
- 2018-03-28
- Runtime
- 140 min
- Rating
- 7.6 / 10 (17403)
Cast
- Tye Sheridan
- Olivia Cooke
- Ben Mendelsohn
- Lena Waithe
- T.J. Miller
- Simon Pegg
- Mark Rylance
- Philip Zhao
- Win Morisaki
- Hannah John-Kamen
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- HBO Max Amazon Channel, HBO Max
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Spectrum On Demand, Plex
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Ready Player One about?
- In a harsh 2045, a young gamer and his allies race through a reality-bending virtual contest before a ruthless corporation can own the world where humanity escapes.
- What is Ready Player One like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Ready Player One as breakneck, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Ready Player One violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in Ready Player One as moderate.
- What did critics think of Ready Player One?
- Critics generally found the film an energetic, visually dazzling Spielberg adventure whose nostalgic pleasures and inventive virtual-world spectacle outweigh its thinly developed themes and characters.
- Which films are like Ready Player One?
- Films with a similar feel include The Matrix, Tron: Legacy, Minority Report, and Avatar.
- How long is Ready Player One?
- Ready Player One runs 140 minutes.
- Where can I watch Ready Player One?
- In United States, Ready Player One streams on HBO Max Amazon Channel, HBO Max.
