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Drop Review
Image Credit: Bernard Walsh/Universal Pictures
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Directed By: Christopher Landon
Written By: Jillian Jacobs and Chris Roach
Runtime: 95 minutes
MPA Rating: Rated PG-13 for strong violent content, suicide, some strong language and sexual references.
Meghann Fahy – Violet
Brandon Sklenar – Henry
Reed Diamond – Richard
Gabrielle Ryan – Cara
Violett Beane – Jen
Ed Weeks – Phil
Jacob Robinson – Toby
Travis Nelson – Connor
Single mom Violet (Meghann Fahy) embarks on her first date in years, but it soon transforms into a living nightmare in the new suspense thriller, Drop. Christopher Landon crafts an ode to classic suspense thrillers that constantly skates and teeters on the edges of credulity. Despite the far-fetched, the plan holds together and unfolds as an enjoyable and energetic theatrical experience.
Violet is a practicing psychiatrist, finally ready to put the trauma of her abusive husband behind her and re-enter the dating world. Violet is a bit skittish, but her date, a Chicago mayoral office photographer Henry (Sklenar), books a reservation at a swanky high-rise fine dining establishment. Shortly after they get seated at their table, Violet starts receiving strange drop messages. They soon reveal an armed intruder in her home, where Violet’s sister, Jen (Beane), is babysitting Violet’s five-year-old son, Toby (Robinson). The assailant wants Violet to poison her date, or Jen and Toby will be killed. The perpetrator has every angle of the restaurant covered, and one wrong move means the gunman at Violet’s home will kill her son and sister. It’s the perfectly crazy premise for a high-concept thriller in a limited space and time frame.
Megann Fahy’s strong yet vulnerable performance is the glue that holds the plot together. She’s a mother who has already suffered a great deal of trauma and abuse, and now she’s forced to endure a madman coercing her to murder her date in a crowded restaurant. While Drop sometimes overplays its premise with cutesy humor and jokes, Fahy delivers a compelling, believable performance. Fahy proves to be a centering force for the action, creating a strong desire to see her overcome this horrendous ordeal. Sklenar, as Henry, with his rugged good looks and traditional masculine charisma, plays his role well. Henry recognizes something very wrong is happening on his date, but any revelation means game over for Violet’s family.
The drama of the assailant’s death game builds through the form of text messages via an app on Violet’s phone. Director Christopher Landon presents the battle of wills between Violet and her assailant by dynamically depicting the messages throughout the background, using the walls and scenery to showcase their digital communication. It raises the momentum and suspense, immersing Violet in her assailant’s brutal game.
The Palate restaurant becomes a veritable mouse trap and maze for Violet. The texts that materialize around Violet make the restaurant feel claustrophobically suffocating for both her and the audience. The restaurant’s walls oppressively observe Violet’s every move and seek to crush her. Landon builds the tension exceptionally well until the final act, and the film presents a satisfying payoff to the extended nail-biting buildup.
Drop‘s culminates into a wildly fun final act, where it almost becomes a different movie, but it’s still highly entertaining. Landon and writers Jillian Jacobs and Chris Roach throw in a few silly and goofy moments in the second half. Drop significantly favors entertainment over logic; and, for the most part, that’s fine because the nail-biting final works for the most part and features some genuine surprises.
Drop is a film elevated by the theatrical experience, and it’s the perfect film for an enjoyable night out at the movies for a relatively short, yet entertaining, ride. The shared energy from the audience ready for a good time easily enhances the enjoyment. Drop defines a fun night out at the movies.
