The World Drops Dead
**Seen at the 2025 Atlanta Film Festival
IMDb labels “The World Drops Dead” as a horror film, and yes, there are moments that could be viewed as horrific, but that is way too reductive for Brandon Colvin’s film. Mysterious, unsettling, psychologically challenging, and emotionally taxing are much more apt descriptors for the movie he has made. There’s something uncomfortable about this film that, if you haven’t fell within the deep recesses of grief yourself, it might not be easy for you to watch the film.
We begin with a young woman (Claire, played by Yumna Jane) in her bedroom with a cat. She is out watching her father (played by Colvin), who is looking forlornly across the street in the woods. We next see them in a meeting at what looks like a church. Nobody is really speaking. Claire sees her dad write something on a piece of paper. He stays after to work on a chair, but when Claire comes back for him, he’s not conscious. He’s taken his life.
I don’t have a problem sharing that tidbit of the film, because it’s part of the synopsis of the film. After he passes, however, care should be taken, and any plot points could take away from how unexpected the experience of “The World Drops Dead” is. One of the things that captivated me about Colvin’s film is how it uses minimal words to get us into the experience of grief with each of the main characters, which includes wife Anne (Sanam Efrain) and son Ryan (Micah Juman). When characters say something, it’s usually an expression of their feelings. Almost nothing in this film is expository from a narrative standpoint. It’s mostly out of needing to share something with someone, whether out of depression, sadness or rage. No one in this film will be the same on the other side of it.
Colvin’s minimalist approach in terms of narrative is eclipsed by his big, broad choices visually and musically. He and cinematographer Cody Duncan have laid out very deliberate shot compositions and lighting choices that give the film its unsettling feel to it. Musically, Colvin also has a part to play as his band provides the score. This is a very experimental, soundscape approach to film music, and it works beautifully with the film. “The World Drops Dead” is an apocalyptic title for a movie that is very much crafted with meticulous, and subtle, beauty. But if you’ve ever felt a deep loss, you’ll understand why no other title would do.
