Violet (Fahy), a widowed mother on her first date in years, arrives at an upscale restaurant where she is relieved that her date, Henry (Sklenar) is more charming and handsome than she expected. But their chemistry begins to curdle as Violet begins being irritated and then terrorized by a series of anonymous drops to her phone.
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Judging by the new films dropping on streaming, I guess summer is good for both theatrical releases and for finding new stuff on streaming. With films like A Minecraft Movie and Sinners among recent releases on streaming, a new one popped up just the other day: Drop. The trailers had looked interesting with this one, showcasing a woman on a date trapped in a vicious game of cat-and-mouse, with her son’s life on the line. As usual, however, I missed its run in theaters, so when it popped up on streaming, I had to give it a look. Would it be worth it – or was this another cheap thriller that would Drop the ball?
Meghann Fahy plays the main character in Drop, and does a pretty good job. While the name may not stand out (unless viewers have seen The White Lotus) – and her appearance fits the stereotypical blonde Hollywood trope – she manages to play a pretty convincing character. As the tension grows, she draws the viewer in, making them sympathize with her situation even while trying to think what they would do differently in the scenario.
The rest of the cast – including her date, Brandon Sklenar (another relative unknown), are just background characters in Drop. While he – and other actors Reed Diamond, Violett Beane and Jeffery Self – are decent enough, the film – and the viewer – are so focused on Meghann’s Violet that they could have been swapped out, and the viewer might not have even noticed.
Unlike most films, which rely on multiple actors to make the film work, Drop is more reminiscent of films like Phone Booth, 127 Hours or The Shallows (among others) that focus pretty much exclusively on one person. When these films are done right, it heightens the tension, since it makes the viewer feel closer to that one character. With such an intense focus on Violet, the film manages to convey a sense of solitude for the main character (a must for this type of film) – even while she’s surrounded by people. That’s impressive.
Surprisingly, however, even with all the focus on Violet, Drop never really gives the viewer more than glimpses into who this person is. It’s surprising, since such intense focus seems to lead itself to giving the viewer a deeper character study. Here, though, that works, as without too much distinguishing Violet apart from nearly everyone else, everyone finds her more relatable – just another guest at a restaurant. She could be anybody, and with the quick pace of the story, viewers don’t really have much of a chance to stop and think about it.
Drop makes good use of its location, a fancy restaurant at the top of a building. While it is a bit predictable, the whodunit factor is strong in this film, and the pace is relentless. Viewers may know where the film is going, but there’s enough solid misdirection to keep them thinking it may branch off the norm at any moment. Maybe that’s thanks to its vibe of updating the thrillers of the past with the technology of today, but it still works. It even manages to feel like an homage to classic thrillers while bringing them into the world of today, rather than just feeling like it’s just exploiting the same old tropes
Okay, so Drop isn’t perfect by any means. But, with its ability to evoke the classic thrillers while still managing to feel fresh – despite utilizing pretty much the same old tropes, just with a modern-day technological update – it’s a fast-paced, well-executed thriller that’s fun to watch. Sure, it does kind of fall apart at the end, rushing it’s ending, but the exciting ride up to that point is worth it anyway.
