Drop
Christopher Landon has found himself a niche in high-concept thrillers that are just outside the realm of horror. The “Happy Death Day” films. “Freaky.” “Scout’s Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse.” Each one fits within the trappings of a horror subgenre, but there’s a strong strain of comedy to go with the thrills to keep us entertained. In his latest film, the comedy is basically gone until the third act gets into the absurd, but he keeps the tension going quite effectively.
Violet (Meghann Fahy) is a single mother who’s been gun shy getting out to date after being in an abusive marriage. Tonight, she’s planning on going out with Henry (Brandon Sklenar), with whom she’s been messaging for a few months. Her sister, Jen (Violett Beane), is going to watch Toby (Jacob Robinson), and hopefully it’ll be a stress-free evening. As she’s waiting at the restaurant for Henry, we see her interact with a few of the staff and other diners. When she starts getting Air Drops to her phone after Henry gets there, it’s an annoyance, but when they start to threaten Toby, it puts her on edge. Why her?
If we consider the “Happy Death Day” films, we can see why Landon would have been attracted to the screenplay by Jillian Jacobs and Chris Roach. It follows a similar structure in how its main character has to figure out the game, and try to find angles that will allow her to get out of it. There are plenty of suspects as to who could be sending the drops, and even Henry feels like he could be a suspect…until he’s definitely ruled out. As I implied earlier, this film is less comedic than a lot of his other efforts, but that isn’t a deterrent to the entertainment in the film. As with “Happy Death Day,” “Drop” is a vehicle for its lead actress to just dig into the situation their character is put in, and Fahy is more than up to the task. She gets all the layers of anxiety Violet is dealing with while also hanging on by a thread keeping Henry there, and trying to have an actual date without letting him know what’s going on. It’s a terrific performance.
Landon keeps the suspense at a strong simmer throughout the movie before it really goes wild with its third act. The end of this movie is insane, but honestly, I was down for it. It will probably feel like a shark jumped by a lot of audiences, but when you consider what it’s asked of you before that, you can understand why it feels why a natural progression from the bulk of the film. This movie is bonkers, but in a fun way. It’s worth your time.
