Drop Review: Tense Thriller Anchored By Two Great Lead Performances

Director Christopher Landon (Happy Death Day, Freaky) returns for another Blumhouse installment following his long line of successful horror thrillers with Drop.

Synopsis:

"Violet (Meghann Fahy) is a widowed mother who goes to an upscale restaurant to meet Henry (Brandon Sklenar), her charming and handsome date. However, her pleasant evening soon turns into a living nightmare when she receives phone messages from a mysterious, hooded figure who threatens to kill her young son and sister unless she kills Henry."

Cast:

Meghann Fahy, Brandon Sklenar, Violett Beane, Reed Diamond

Release Date:

In Theaters Now

Fahy and Sklenar Shine

Credit: Universal Pictures

The absolute best part of Drop is the amazing performances from the two lead actors. This is Meghann Fahy's first lead role, after previously gaining critical recognition for her supporting role in The White Lotus Season 2, and she really shows her acting chops here. The entire movie centers around her stress and anxiety within the situation that she finds herself in, with her commanding performance making you really connect with what her character is feeling in every given moment. The first scene of the film, which ends up setting up a storyline later, really establishes her star presence from minute one. Whether she's fighting for her life or trying to convince Sklenar's character that she's not categorically insane, Fahy stands out in the best way. I'd love to see this film propel her for more lead roles, especially in horror, because Drop really showed that she could handle it.

Sklenar is more of a supporting character by definition, but he almost shares the entire movie in terms of screen time with Fahy. As explained in the synopsis, the entire film centers around the wild events that occur while the two of them are on a date. Both the actors allow this relationship between the two of them actually feel real, with Sklenar especially displaying levels of charisma that reminded me of his role in It Ends With Us last year. Selling the awkwardness between them, even outside of what turns into the main conflict of the film, was something that was really important to this movie succeeding. They both are going through a point of their life where they really need each other, but they just don't know it yet. Fahy and Sklenar have unbelievable chemistry and I loved seeing them bounce off each other in Drop.

Landon's Direction Brings Serious Tension

Credit: Universal Pictures

Christopher Landon has established himself previously as a creative mind when it comes to horror, but this film really cements his status as a top tier horror filmmaker. Happy Death Day and Freaky are very solid installments, but Drop really ups the levels in terms of his potential as a filmmaker. You can be somewhat limited with what you can do when placed in one single location in terms of creative direction, but Landon finds ways to make things engaging and leaving you on the edge of your seat as a viewer. There's many really interesting tracking shots throughout, placing you right into the situation and adding to the intrigue. They sort of teased this with the trailers, but the drops themselves involve some very interesting filmmaking decisions as well. The texts literally pop up on the screen as Fahy's character receives them, with some getting extra emphasis depending on the importance. This was such an interesting creative choice from Landon and I loved it. I'd love to see Landon continue to helm horror movies with interesting concepts just like this one in the future.

One Location Setting Serves as a Creative Masterpiece

Credit: Universal Pictures

I have to say right off the bat that the fact that this film takes place in practically one location the entire time served as my main interest going in. Personally, I'm an absolute sucker for films like this, with Drop utilizing this concept to perfection. This choice by the filmmakers allows for many creative scenes, utilizing the space around our main characters to tell exactly the story they want to tell. There's some intricate details when it comes to where everything is located, from the bathroom to the hostess table. Fahy's character has to explore these different locations at many different points and I think it being in this one smaller location just served to the tension/intrigue. This goes back to my point earlier about the tracking shots, with them really placing you directly into the action. It speaks again back to Fahy's excellent performance, as she serves as our point of view throughout the whole film. When you feel something shift in terms of location, it's felt directly from the direction of Landon and her acting.

Short and Sweet Runtime

Credit: Universal Pictures

The main problem when films like this usually aren't successful is the runtime either allows for too little or too much time to explore the concept. Drop clocks in at almost exactly 90 minutes (minus credits), which to me was perfect to tell the story they wanted to tell. There's no unnecessary backstory or exposition, with us focusing really on the main two characters and then eventually an added villain who you learn is behind it all. There's different phases to the movie, with the one of Fahy's character dealing with the drops she's receiving luckily not dragging on too much to avoid losing the audience's interest. The drops kind of evolve and take turns throughout, wether that has to do with the location or which characters are involved. The culmination of the story at the end doesn't feel forced and it works within the pacing of the movie, again coming from the excellent choice of a shorter runtime.

Final Thoughts

Credit: Universal Pictures

Drop is by far one of the best movies I've seen in theaters so far this year, with its creative concept allowing for some great tension and fascinating twists. Backed by an amazing lead performance by Meghann Fahy, it serves as an incredibly fun and intriguing watch. Go see this movie!

Rating: 4/5 Stars

2025 Ranked: