The year before Ryan Reynolds starred as the hilarious antiheroDeadpool, he played one of the main characters inthe sci-fi movieSelf/less. While fans know the actor from this major role and from the many comedies he has starred in, he has a more versatile resume than people might think. Betweenco-starring with Will Ferrell in the holiday movieSpiritedandplaying a small role inScrubs,Reynolds has done it all.
Critics didn’t praise the Ryan Reynolds sci-fi movieSelf/lessand audiences didn’t enjoy it much, either. While the plot ofSelf/lesscould have made for a compelling and riveting movie, most agree thatSelf/lessisn’t one of the actor’s better movies.
What Is Self/Less About?
While there are someunderrated Ryan Reynolds movies, most of his fans would agree thatSelf/lessisn’t his best film. The movie followsbillionaireDamian Hale (Ben Kingsley) who has been diagnosed with cancer that will kill him. Instead of accepting his tragic diagnosis, Damian learns that Professor Albright (Matthew Goode) has created aprocess called “shedding"where someone cantransfer their mind to a younger, healthier body. Reynolds playedMark Bitwell, the character whose body Damian takes over. While the movie focuses on this strange idea, it also tells a family story about Mark, his wife Madeline (Natalie Martinez), and their daughter Anna (Jaynee-Lynne Kinchen).
July 10th, 2015
117 minutes
Rotten Tomatoes Score
18%
In one memorable scene, Albright and Damian talk about what they’re about to do, which is the most important moment inSelf/less. Albright says:
“You’ve built an empire from the ground up. People will insist that your buildings make you immortal. Now, as you slip away, do you feel immortal? We offer humanity’s greatest minds more time to fulfill their potential. Designed to offer you the very best of the human experience.”
This scene proves the theme of the movie: the cliche that having all the money in the world can’t actually buy happiness, but what if someone tried to buy a longer life? When Damian asks “It’s alive?” Albright replies, “An empty vessel.”
Self/lessis one of Ryan Reynolds’s least famous movies, along with theindie horror movieThe Voices. WhileSelf/lesswasn’t universally beloved, Reynolds liked the philosophical questions that the movie brought up. When asked if he would do the same thing that Albright did in an interview withCBS News, he said:
“No, never. It’s easy for me to say that now, I’m 38 years old. But when I’m 90 and want another day or two, who knows? But I think it’s sort of a cautionary tale, in the sense that you really want to make the most of your time here as it is.”
Reynolds said something similar in an interview withFox News. He explained:
“I can’t imagine the kind of arrogance it would take to say, ‘you know what, I’m going to use power, money, and influence to buy my way into another life’ that seems a little dark. I think make the most of this one and be happy when you finally close your eyes to it.”
What Did Critics Say About Self/Less?
Since the Ryan Reynolds movieSelf/lesshas such alow Rotten Tomatoes score of 18 percent, it’s clear thatcritics didn’t like the movie. The reviews included on the movie’s Rotten Tomatoes page agree thatSelf/lesshas an intriguing premise but doesn’t live up to it. While a few critics said that it’s still an entertaining watch, they were in the minority.
Both before and afterSelf/less, Ryan Reynolds starred in many movies that fans and critics didn’t love. He starred in theconfusing time travel movieThe Adam Projectand thedisappointingThe Amityville Horrorremake. But sinceDeadpoolhas been such a big success, that film tends to overshadow the actor’s more lackluster releases.
After Self/Less, Ryan Reynolds Made Deadpool
After Ryan Reynolds acted inSelf/less, he starred inthe 2016 movieDeadpool, which was such a box office success that it led to two more movies:Deadpool 2in 2018 and the upcomingDeadpool & Wolverine, which co-stars Hugh Jackman.Deadpoolgrossed$782,612,155andDeadpool 2 grossed$786,470,484, which makes fanswonder ifDeadpool 3will make more money thanJoker.
Ryan Reynolds has said how much he enjoys playing this hilarious, brash, and clever character in many interviews. In 2017, he talked toVarietyand said:
“I would love to play Deadpool for as long as they would let me play Deadpool. We have outlines and stories for a number of different films.”
In his interview with Variety, the actor also mentioned that he would love to make aDeadpoolmovie with Hugh Jackman as Wolverine. Now that movie is actually happening and fans got to seetheDeadpool & Wolverinetrailerat the Super Bowl in February 2024.
