I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again. I like a movie that takes a chance. A film doesn’t need to be “good,” but if it’s not having fun, what is even the point? Drop hits theaters this week. While the movie looks a lot like a by-the-numbers thriller … this is a Christopher Landon film. His movies are never quite that simple. Is Drop a freaky blend of everything we expect from Landon? Or is this “Drop” heading for a painful splat?
Drop
Drop follows Violet (Meghann Fahy), a widowed therapist braving a much-needed first date. As she ventures out with the hunky photographer (Brandon Sklenar), she begins getting “Digidrops.” Unlike most normal people, she doesn’t turn off the stinking things. All of a sudden, events spiral out of control. Someone is out there, someone is watching, and they won’t stop until she kills her date. Violett Beane, Reed Diamond, Gabrielle Ryan and Jacob Robinson co-star in the movie. Christopher Landon directs Drop from a script by Jillian Jacobs and Chris Roach.
Right from the beginning, there’s an element of Drop that feels super familiar. Films like Missing, Disturbia and Open Windows (to name a few) have made in-depth explorations of technology and social media in the last decade or so. Drop continues this trend, choosing to zoom in with laser focus on the always a little creepy “Digital Drop.”
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As a writer and director, Christopher Landon refuses to shy away from having a little fun. From Happy Death Day to Freaky and even Heart Eyes, Landon’s creative tongue is always planted firmly in cheek. That’s my story, and I’m sticking to it.
Landon is seen primarily as a horror director, and Drop is, from a basic analysis, a thriller with some paranoid twinges. At the same time, though, there’s a silliness on display here that I wasn’t quite expecting.
The result is a laugh-a-minute riot that I’m choosing to believe was an intentional choice. This ranges from over-the-top performances to more subtle wacky additions. At one point, a restaurant piano plays “Baby Shark.” While Jeffrey Self steals scenes like a bandit in what I hope is a delightfully over-the-top starmaking role.
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Landon finds a great blend here with a supporting cast of players who know exactly what this movie is. Self’s excitable waiter is only the tip of the metaphorical iceberg. Reed Diamond chews all the scenery and is a joy to behold in a fun role. He’s an actor who might be familiar to nerds of a certain age thanks to his work in Dollhouse and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.. Meanwhile, Phil Weeks cuts a memorable figure as a piano player with an appreciation for “the sauce.”
Fahy and Sklenar both hold things together as the needed “straight men.” Sklenar’s Henry is so patient in the face of Violet’s over-the-top behavior that it does perhaps stretch the bounds of reality. However, he completely sells his performance as the “good guy” Violet desperately needs. It’s easy to root for these two through all the drama.
Stepping behind the camera, Landon appears to be having a blast directing this time around. He makes innovative use of Drop‘s primary restaurant set. His active and ever-moving camera makes fun and visually stunning use of the interesting location. In particular, there is a corridor that emanates from the screen due to its almost expressionistic design. At the same time, his camera has a lot of fun in the quirkily designed restroom.
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In the grand scheme of things, Drop needs to bask in the wackiness. Jacobs’ and Roach’s script leans heavily on the digital drops as the main plot device. There’s a political scandal sprinkled into the story as well, but we learn little about this arc until deep into the third act. I suppose, despite how much I enjoyed this film, it is an example of style over substance. This is an incredibly silly movie, and I had a lot of fun watching it in the theater. Is Drop a perfect film? Of course not, but it’s a perfectly delightful viewing if one’s expectations are in check.
Drop opens in theaters around the country on April 11, 2025.
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