Review: Drop

Directed by: Christopher Landon

Written by: Jillian Jacobs & Chris Roach

Starring: Meghann Fahy, Brandon Sklenar, Violett Beane. Jeffery Self

Rating: [3.5/5]

Dating in the modern age has its inherent issues that evokes fear in anyone putting themselves out there. This only gets more difficult depending on the add-ons that an individual may have, such as a child or baggage from previous relationships. From the start, Drop seeks to play into this general anxiety of a single mother getting out there again and dating, but then moves into something much more sinister and quite entertaining. 

After many messages back and forth, Violet (Meghann Fahy) agrees to go out to dinner with a man she met online, Henry (Brandon Sklenar). While at the dinner, she receives an airdrop to her phone that begins as strange memes but then evolves into an individual threatening her family at home if she does not acquiesce and do what she is told. 

You’ve gotta love a killer premise and Drop certainly jumps into the fray with just that in how it combines the general nervousness of a first date with a horrific situation our lead character has found herself in. On top of everything else she has going on in her head, she now has to deal with someone messaging her commands that if she refuses to follow will result in the death of her son. Premises such as this one do open the door to have someone think about the logistics and it feels appropriate to address it. 

Now, the concept of an Airdrop, for those who may be unaware, allows someone to send images amongst other things to another iPhone user whether or not you have them as a contact. There’s typically a limit of the vicinity in which one has to be within in order to send one. Therefore, we know the person sending these threatening demands sits somewhere in the dining room of the restaurant with Violet and she has to balance not only keeping her composure but also trying to figure this all out with no help from anyone around her. One would think she could ask her date, Henry, for help but it’s made quite clear he must remain unaware or else. 

While we see this story through the eyes of Violet, it would be quite something to watch everything through the eyes of Henry with none of the context for the majority of the film. He just sees this poor woman he wants to treat to a good night out consistently find ways to leave the table, looking at her phone in distraught ways and you have no idea why. This plays into the social tension this film maneuvers through because Violet runs this fine line of having to accomplish difficult tasks while keeping everyone none the wiser. There are moments where Violet appears quite strange to anyone not knowing the pressure placed upon her and it ensures that it will cause us to sink in our seats because of it. In these moments this film shines and squeezes out the very best of its premise.

As the film continues to build up to an eventual resolution, it begins to make decisions that will certainly take some aback in how it all comes together. As one can imagine if they have ever watched a film before, we eventually learn the identity of the culprit pulling the strings in making Violet’s night one she will never forget in a negative way. While that reveal displays some cleverness, pretty much everything that happens after that left plenty to be desired. Nailing this particular segment of any film always carries the most challenges because sticking the landing will not always satisfy all. What transpires here felt a bit silly overall in the way it does not match what came before makes for a head-scratching finale. 

At the center of this story, we have a wonderful performance by Meghann Fahy, who first got on my radar from her performance in “The White Lotus.” She turns in some good work here with her expressive eyes, where you can see where it does not match the internal feelings and thoughts. Fahy leads the way along with director Christopher Landon, who presents this all in such a stylish manner. He makes some visual choices here that helps elevate the mood of each new development in the story, allowing for the narrative to continue to shine. 

Providing so much to enjoy, Drop presents a fun premise and delivers on all the thrills one would want from this film. It successfully combines the anxiety of a first date with the general fright this circumstance brings to our lead character. While it falls off a bit as we get to the conclusion this film still makes for quite the fun ride that builds out an enjoyable viewing experience.