Drop review
A mostly one setting thriller that mostly thrills.
New movie reviews will not contain spoilers.
Drop
Directed by Christopher Landon
Written by Jillian Jacobs and Chris Roach
Starring Meghann Fahy, Brandon Sklenar, Violett Beane, Jacob Richardson, Reed Diamond, Gabrielle Ryan Spring and Jeffrey Self
Drop Review
Director Christopher Landon has had his hand in many successful genre films throughout his career. He served as the writer on five Paranormal Activity movies…sliding into the director’s chair for 2014’s The Marked Ones. His directorial breakout came soon after with Happy Death Day. He’d go on to write and direct that film’s sequel and the body swap slasher movie Freaky. This year he penned the Valentine’s Day slasher Heart Eyes…and directed the first date from Hell thriller…Drop. Landon has shown to have good handle on crafting dynamic and original genre films. Which makes the debacle that became his attempt to keep Scream VII on the rails a true disappointment. After the studio took a wrecking ball to his plans by dismissing series star Melissa Barrera…at least partially causing Jenna Ortega to go with her…Landon walked away from the dream project.
Watching Drop through the lens of his unmade Scream film is an interesting experience. Technology has always played a major role in that franchise. In Drop, Landon shows himself perfectly suited for integrating the constantly evolving state of modern technology into a story. He finds compelling ways to show simple texts on screen and uses the simple sound of a buzzing phone to ratchet up tension like Wes Craven used the sound of a landline. Landon felt like a strong fit for the franchise even before showing off a mastery of modern technology in film. Freaky and Happy Death Day mix comedy and horror in a way that would have made a good starting point for a Scream entry.
Drop isn’t trying to be Scream, of course. But it is trying, and succeeding, at delivering something fun. In fact, the trailer for Drop does an excellent job telling you what to expect from the feature film. There are more twists and turns in the movie, of course…but Drop has the rare effective trailer that doesn’t ruin things for you while actually advertising the movie. If you like what you see in the trailer…you will like Drop.
Violet (Meghann Fahy) heads to a fancy skyrise restaurant for a first date with Henry (Brandon Sklenar). Her sister is taking care of her five-year-old son. Not long into the date, Violent receives a series of anonymous messages. An armed man has broken into her home…and her son will be killed if Violet doesn’t do everything she is told. The messages are coming from somewhere in the restaurant. Cameras are everywhere…microphones are hidden all around. One wrong move will lead to devastating consequences.
Drop largely takes place inside of the fancy restaurant. It gives us a taste of several eclectic characters…any of whom could be causing Violet’s terrible night. Henry is unaware of what Violet is dealing with…almost abandoning the date altogether due to her obvious distracted nature. Violet is forced to keep the date going…while doing what the unknown contact tells her to do. Ultimately, that involves eliminating her date.
The word Hitchcockian has been thrown around regarding Drop. We use it too often, but it does fit the theme here. Landon wrings tension and excitement out of the simple setup. There’s no second trick to the story…simply a director finding every way possible to keep it engaging. He’s helped immensely by Fahy’s performance as Violet. She carries the world of Drop on her shoulders…often only allowed to convey anything through facial expression. It’s a top-notch thriller performance.
The story does a good job making it feel like Violet is trapped. We learn some key things about her character’s backstory throughout the date. We also learn why she has been tasked with this impossible mission. There’s a bit of a buy in required with the latter. Once the cards are all on the table it’s difficult to accept that there wasn’t, simply, an easier way to deal with this situation. But Drop remains exciting enough for those thoughts to stay away for the most part.
The pot boils slowly until it reaches an exciting climax. Some of the best moments in Drop happen after its mystery has been revealed. That’s not an easy trick to pull off. Stories will often fall off a cliff of disinterest once there is no more wondering to be done. Drop saves some fun for the final minutes…allowing you to walk away with a smile on your face.
Scare Value
Christopher Landon delivers another fun piece of genre work in Drop. Meghann Fahy confidently leads a unique modern thriller that keeps its tension slowly rising throughout the story. The overall plot here may not fully hold up to extended scrutiny in retrospect…but it doesn’t make Drop any less fun to watch while it’s happening. Throw in some high notes during the film’s climax…and you end up with a good time at the movies.
3.5/5
Drop Links
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