Drop: Film Review
I have been a fan of Meghann Fahy since season two of The White Lotus, and I’m thrilled she’s finally been given a lead role to showcase her talents in Drop.
In this high-concept thriller, Fahy plays Violet, a widowed single mother who goes on her first date in years with Henry (Brandon Sklenar). When she arrives at the upscale restaurant Palate, Violet begins to receive drops from an anonymous person nearby. They begin as random memes, but the messages become increasingly unnerving and threatening, with Violet being forced to follow specific instructions otherwise her son will die.
Drop is a wild, crazy ride and a lot of fun if you don’t take it too seriously or examine it too closely. It is taut and full of suspense but also very silly and contrived. You’ve just got to roll with it! The story starts pretty well, with some excellent writing at the start of their date, and director Christopher Landon slowly builds the stakes and tension. You are fully with Violet, concerned about how she’s going to get out of the situation alive.
And that’s all because of Fahy, who gets her first lead role after years of being in ensembles. She is the best thing about Drop, and she acts her socks off and throws her all into it, elevating the material and getting us to invest in her character. She makes Violet a fully realised, well-rounded person who is resourceful and able to think on her feet in a life-or-death situation. Despite the ridiculous concept, she plays the role completely straight and does brilliantly at reacting to text messages and then internalising the terror to pretend nothing’s wrong.
There are some downsides, though. The writing gets progressively worse, and the motivation behind the text messages is sketchy and illogical. There must have been an easier way to achieve this outcome than this elaborate plot! Also, some of the text threats are laughably cliched, and their presentation on-screen needed improvement. I was also bothered by some random things, for example, why did the wine take so long to come? Why did they not eat their food?
Sklenar deserves praise for playing such a kind, understanding human. He is on a nightmare first date with a distracted woman who keeps disappearing from the table. He has the patience of a saint and seems too good to be true. I also want to give a shout-out to Jeffery Self as their waiter Matt. He has so much pizzazz and personality, and he cuts the tension with some much-needed comic relief.
Drop works best as a showcase for Fahy’s acting talents. She capably carries this film singlehandedly and makes the story better than it is on the page. I’m glad she’s finally getting the attention she deserves.
In cinemas from Friday 11th April
Rating: 3.5 out of 5.
