Fall

Starring: Grace Caroline Currey, Virginia Gardner, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Mason Gooding, Jasper Cole, Darrell Dennis
Directed by: Scott Mann
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Thriller
2022

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: Two climbers (Grace Caroline Currey, Virginia Gardner) sneak in and climb a derelict 2,000 foot tall radio tower. When the ladder below them crumbles, they begin a fight for their lives.

Review:
Tim: Fall is one of the most pleasant surprises of 2022. Sure, Scott Mann's film has its share of flaws. But, the concept, the cinematography, the heart-pounding nature of the story creates a viewing experience the likes of which we haven't seen before. While I wish some of the mechanics of the story were better, this is still one of the most intense, nerve-racking films I've seen in quite a long time. I had a blast watching it.

The story requires some suspension of disbelief, but I believe it's worth it. You have two women trapped 2,000 feet above the desert on a radio tower with no ladder. They're too high up and in the middle of nowhere, so cell phones don't work. Of course, no one knows they are there, and as the radio tower isn't in use, no one will come by and discover them. It's a brilliant set up for a film that leans all the way in on its interesting premise. Will these women somehow make it down, or will they make one wrong move and plummet to their grisly deaths? It's incredibly thrilling.

One thing that helps immensely is the incredibly visuals. The cinematography is outstanding, as you see these women dangling an unfathomable distance above the earth. The visuals will make you sweat as you watch these small people against the seemingly endless expanse of the earth below them. Those with acrophobia wouldn't be able to make it through this film- it's that intense. I loved the narrow focus- it's two people, a small pinnacle at the top of a radio tower, and the chilling distance below. The driver of suspense is as simple as the film's name- will they fall? Scott Mann directs a film that builds on this initial question in brilliant ways. There's lots of different approaches the two women take. There's some interesting backstory elements that come to the forefront. There's a few twists that you might not see coming. For a film with such a simple premise, there's a lot of depth to it. The 1 hour, 47 minute film flies by.

I thought the cast worked really well. Grace Caroline Currey gave a nice performance in the lead role. Currey has a few ups and downs and at a few moments, her performance felt too forced. However, it's a physical, memorable performance and she puts a lot into it. I'm not sure she's the next big star, but there were impressive flashes of her talent throughout the film. You did develop a bit of an emotional connection with her as the film progressed. I thought Virginia Gardner was excellent. She has a similar up-and-down quality to her performance, but she brings so much energy to the role. It felt like she perfectly encapsulated these social media-driven people who obsess too much about "likes". The physicality of the performance was there as well and Gardner rises to every challenge. I thought she was exceptionally memorable and I expect to see more of her in the future. Currey and Gardner worked well together- most of the movie is just the two of them and they held our attention with their performances. I did love that Jeffrey Dean Morgan played a supporting role here. I love Morgan and he makes anything he's in immediately better. He doesn't have a glamorous role, but he lends credibility to the film. Mason Gooding adds a nice (but very small) supporting role, too. Jasper Cole was incredibly memorable with only a small amount of screen time.

Now, as I said, the film does have flaws. There's a certain unbelievable quality to the entire film. The story doesn't really sell us on how believable anything we see is. There's a bunch of logical plot holes throughout the film. The dialogue can be a bit grating. There's a few twists and at least one of them (while mildly surprising) has been done before. I get that some viewers would get hung up on these things and dislike the movie. For me, though, they all felt minor. Sure, it's unrealistic that these two women would get caught up on the top of the radio tower and have no hope of rescue. But, man, does it make for an incredibly intense, entertaining film. I was able to overlook most of the flaws to become absorbed in the story.

I'm a big fan of Fall. The minimalist approach works brilliantly and it's one of the most thrilling movies I've seen in recent years. I'd highly recommend it, but with a caution going in- it's not for the faint of heart.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 7.5



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: 47 Meters Down, Adrift, Project Almanac