Perhaps I’m growing weary of the massive influx of IP and remakes, reboots and franchises that take over the theater week after week. Not that all of those are bad, but there’s a longing for something original and familiar. A nostalgia for straightforward genre films they just don’t make anymore…but the kind we use to get all the time.
Maybe that’s why “Drop” worked for me. It checks all the boxes of the late 90s/early 2000s thrillers, reminiscent of things like “Red Eye” or “Nick of Time,” and more recently “Carry-On.” Sure, it’s not nearly as well constructed or everlasting as those films, and it certainly doesn’t have the star power to overcome the trashy, airport novel framework. But if you know me, you know that I am always forgiving of self aware films, ones that own their own ridiculousness and absurdity and never take themselves too seriously.
“Drop” may not be the best of its kinds and requires a suspension of disbelief that many might not be able to sustain, but there’s a lot of fun to be had if you’re willing to allow the film some grace and let it do what it wants. Directed by Christopher Landon (“Heart Eyes,” “Happy Death Day,“) from a script by Jillian Jacobs and Chris Roach, “Drop” is a first date that quickly turns into a paranoid nightmare. Violet (Megan Fehay) is a domestic abuse survivor and a widowed mother who finally decides to do something for herself, leave her son with her sister for the night and go out a date. Henry (Brandon Sklenar) is the perfect man, and just as the date begins her phone starts to ding constantly from an anonymous caller who tormenting her with threats and showing her that her son is being held hostage by a gunman in her home. She is asked to kill her date and tell no one, and the cat and mouse game begins as she tries to avoid killing Henry, save her son, and find out just who in the restaurant is sending her the drops.
An escalating tension culminates in one of the more ludicrous climaxes you’ll see this year. But if you’re willing to abandon logic, there’s a ton of enjoyment to be had here. The single location restaurant is used excellently, with Landon knowing how to keep the whodunnit mystery sustained throughout the night. “Drop” sweeps around the decadent design and tables with ease, creating a claustrophobic nightmare that can’t be escaped even as the pieces continue to fall into place. Using phone cues and text visuals aren’t new, but “Drop” does a solid job in keeping the audience glued to and informed by the drops that constantly keep Violet in duress. Jacobs and Roach layer enough red herrings to keep you guessing, and even if you’re able to guess within the first 15 minutes, the surrounding cast and creative paranoia are effective enough to make you second guess yourself from time to time. Why it’s happening and who’s behind it all don’t really matter all that much, and the script isn’t as interested in conclusions as it is in the atmosphere it creates.
It makes no apologies for its caricatures or flimsy premise, and is better served for what it omits rather than what it tries to include.
Skelnar’s Henry might as well be ripped straight from a Hallmark movie. A man written to be nearly perfect everywhere; patient, kind, attractive, understanding etc. He’s one line away from rescuing orphans from burning buildings in his spare time. That’s the kind of thing “Drop” wants you to accept, that a man with 0 flaws needs be killed by malicious villains 20 minutes after you meet them. Skelnar plays it pretty straight which helps sell it, and Fehay is doing the best she can to shoulder the world around her spiraling out of her control while trying to maintain table talk. The “Red Eye” comparisons are pretty easy to make throughout, and Id argue there’s a massive downgrade in compelling leads when you don’t have Cillian Murphy and Rachel McAdams selling the hell out of the same premise but on a plane. Fehay does fine, but she doesn’t quite have the leading lady, final girl thriller juice you need to really buy her plight.
They have enough chemistry together most of the time even if it feels a little forced sometimes, and Skelnar and Fehay work best when they’re both just trying to make it through the date without ruining everything. “Drop” has enough going for it on its own that Fehay and Skelnar don’t need operate on that same level as the powerhouses of its predecessors. It’s the kind of film we mean when we say “popcorn flick.” It’s easy to follow, fun to watch, and thrilling enough to keep you engaged so long as you’re willing to accept a few absurdities along the way. They don’t make ’em like they used to, and I wish they would because it scratches the kind of cinematic itch I yearn for sometimes. We need more films that aren’t so concerned with creating franchises, elevation, reimagining or genre blending. Sometimes a good old fashioned, true to convention thriller genre film is exactly what we need, and “Drop” is unequivocally operating in that simple but effective wheelhouse.
You’re milage may vary on how much you’re willing to give “Drop” a chance, and frankly I won’t fault you for eye rolling at some of the dialogue and outrageous antics that ramp up with every minute. For me, I was willing to give “Drop” the chance to deliver on its simplicity and silliness, and was rewarded with a good time at the movies. I probably won’t even think about this film again, and that’s ok. It’s not meant to be that kind of cinema. It’s the very real manifestation of movies are supposed to be entertainment and made specifically for the “just turn your brain off” crowd. So if that’s the kind of movie you’re looking for (my guess is you’re not willing to put your money where your internet comments are but that’s another discussion for another day) then this is the film for you. It’s just a good time at the theater, and “Drop” succeeds in being a thrilling romp that keeps you guessing.
“Drop” reminded me how much I could never survive in the current dating world, and that’s without the shady villains sending drops to my iPhone and holding my pets hostage.
Also, I think it’s time to start the “Red Eye” reclamation campaign.
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 Stars
“Drop” is in theaters April 11th. You can watch the trailer below.
