Rating: 4/5
Synopsis:
With Christopher Landon departing the highly anticipated “Scream 7”, he shifted his focus to “Drop”. This story follows Violet, a widowed mother who is getting back into the dating scene. As her first date begins, she starts receiving threatening drops to her phone. The messages begin to escalate, where the harasser gives Violet an ultimatum: kill her date or her son dies. She must figure out who is behind the messages to save her date and her son. Can she do it in time?
Positives:
“Drop” looked like a fun little genre flick that would be an entertaining date night movie. I’m shocked to say that the film is much stronger than expected, giving us some excellent characters and a tense story. The film isn’t scary, so viewers concerned with gore or terror will be relieved. The film begins by giving us a backstory on Violet’s past, where intimacy is difficult for her after encountering abuse from her ex-husband. She also feels an obligation to protect her son, which escalates the conflict in the movie. Her date (Henry) is also given a nice introduction. We learn just enough about him to understand who he is but not enough to know if he’s involved with the drops. This adds a level of uncertainty to the evening that transpires. Credit to Landon and his writing team for keeping us on our toes!
The film is surprisingly stylish as well. There are moments of effective music to build mystery and tension in each scene. As Violet tries to maintain positivity on her date, she also tries to see who is behind the menacing messages. As a viewer, this unsettling situation creates a perfect balance of awkwardness between Violet and Henry while speeding up the conflict. The longer the situation goes on the more antsy we get. I also enjoyed the realistic portrayal of online dating in the modern age. Everyone who has used dating apps can relate to the awkward anticipation and nervousness that Violet and Henry display on their date. I love that the film created such good characters because we are eagerly rooting for Violet to figure out who is behind the drops. We also hope her and Henry can salvage a relationship out of this endeavor. Meghann Fahy and Brandon Sklenar have wonderful chemistry, perfectly conveying this unfortunate circumstance. The fact that Violet has to hide most of this conflict from Henry elevates the tension. By the time the story reaches its climax, we are treated to a high stakes (if slightly silly) conclusion. “Drop” is an awesome thriller that makes the most of its premise!
Negatives:
The drawbacks to the film are predictable. I had a feeling the story would stretch believability which ended up being true. Suspension of disbelief may play a factor in one’s enjoyment, particularly in the final act. The elaborate nature of creating these drops seemed a bit strange by the time the reveal happened. I didn’t think an elaborate plan like this was warranted for such a situation. It could have been executed in a more straightforward way if the killers really wanted to take out Violet’s date. The film also stretches credibility with Henry’s desire to stay on the date after such strange behavior from Violet. Of course his character becomes more likable because he stays but no one in real life would have stuck around.
Conclusion:
“Drop” is a wildly entertaining film that manages to make the most of its premise. The leads give terrific performances, managing to convey the awkwardness of modern dating while developing great chemistry throughout the story. The tension escalates as the story goes on, where Violet tries to figure out who is behind the menacing drops. Because the characters are this good, we root for their success more. Credit to director Christopher Landon for making his characters stronger than average for a genre like this. Suspension of disbelief may hinder the credibility of the story at times but this is a great Saturday night out at the movies!
