Aaron Ploof
Let’s keep this intro short and snappy. Drop is a solid piece of filmmaking that held my attention firmly for the 95 minutes it ran. With convincing performances, engaging characters, and a unique sense of style that ratchets up the tension, you could do much worse for a time at the theatre!
The Setup
An abusive relationship can rob an individual of so many integral facets of their lives. It can affect their sanity, sense of safety, and ability to trust. But perhaps most of all, it can destroy their sense of self-worth. Drop’s lead, Violet (Your Monster‘s Meghann Fahy), struggles with hers. She’s holding onto hope that she can move forward, past the damage that her abusive ex-husband saddled her with the day he died. She can counsel others to appreciate their value, yet she has difficulty owning it herself. To move forward, she agrees to meet Henry (1923‘s Brandon Sklenar), a handsome photographer she met on a dating app.
They plan to rendezvous at a fancy restaurant, many floors above the street. When Violet arrives, Henry is late, so she grabs a seat at the bar. Men strike up conversations with her, the piano player hits on her, and the barista interrupts to offer her a drink. She gets a strange notification on her phone. Minutes later, Henry arrives. Their date is off to a smooth start until more drops appear. They continually grow more threatening until it’s clear that more than a good date night might be ruined. Violet’s son, Toby (Jacob Robinson), and her sister, Jen (Violet Beanne) are being watched by a home invader, and their lives are threatened. If Violet squeals, they’re dead. Then the bombshell hits: she has to kill Henry.
Locked Room
What’s brilliant about this script is that it’s technically a locked-room thriller without the usual contrivances needed to create one. As Henry explains to Violet, a drop messenger has to be within 50 feet of the receiver to send a message. So, from the moment Violet arrives in the restaurant, viewers start guessing who the messenger is. Could it be the overly expressive, annoying, loudmouth waiter? What about the piano player? Perhaps the barkeep? Maybe the old man who’s on a blind date?
With the messenger hacked into the restaurant’s cameras, Violet is at a loss when it comes to alerting others for help. Her state of fear is matched by the camerawork, conveying a heightened sense of paranoia and tension. When the mystery villain texts her, the words are displayed on the screen in large text, flashing for a few seconds before they fade away. In a bathroom stall and moments of desperation, darkness surrounds Violet, signaling her sense of isolation. Fahy captures her character’s panic quite convincingly.
Viewers may wonder why Henry decides to stay the course with a panicked woman such as Violet. I wondered why too, at first, but the reasons given make sense. That’s not to say that his character is extremely complex, but his reactions to what’s going down and how he handles the situation are interesting in and of themselves. Sklenar too, gives a believable performance in reacting to Fahy. Likewise, Violet’s character isn’t all that deep, but her motivations are clear, and the way her character works within the plot just clicks.
When the villain is finally revealed, the payoff is worth it, and a few of the setups introduced in the first act of the script are paid off in the climax, just like Chekov would have wanted it.
Drop-In
Can I see myself coming back to this film? Maybe a couple of times. But most of the fun I had with watching it was attempting to pinpoint the villain. Like an Agatha Christie mystery, once the suspect is identified, subsequent readings will not sparkle as much. But still, everything solidifies into a solid, enjoyable, thriller that makes Drop a good night at the movies.
Drop is currently playing in theaters nationwide.
DROP | Official Trailer
https://Everyone’s a suspect. #DropTheMovie is in theaters April 11. ______ First dates are nerve-wracking enough. Going on a first date while an unnamed, unseen troll pings you personal memes that escalate from annoying to homicidal? Blood-chilling.
Excellent insight, your thoughts were right on! I too enjoyed the film and my attention wasn’t at all dimmed by the limited locations as is sometimes the case with more shallow films!