Drop: A Surprisingly Slick and Cellular Thriller

Dropping In

The latest updates have been downloaded, phones are vibrating, and stakes are high. That can only mean one thing: Blumhouse is back with an all-new thriller movie! Drop is the latest effort from the aforementioned studio, Blumhouse, which prioritizes works in the horror and thriller genres ranging from The Black Phone to Five Nights at Freddy’s. Helping them bring this new vision to life is frequent collaborator Christopher Landon, known for his work on scary movies with a comedic twist including Freaky and the Happy Death Day series. 

The film’s conception came about in early 2024, following Landon’s departure as the director of Scream 7. With this directorial effort, he aimed to go more serious in tone, compared to his previous films which had more of an emphasis on raunchy comedy than straightforward suspense. Added in with a steady stream of recent successes from Blumhouse, including Speak No Evil and Wolf Man–which I found to be underrated–the stars were aligning for their latest collaboration to join this club of worthiness.

Following the film’s world premiere at the South by Southwest Film Festival on March 9, it received acclaim from critics, with some even comparing it to the classic films of Alfred Hitchcock (known as the Master of Suspense). In light of its worldwide premiere in movie theaters across the country, this reception has remained intact with audiences also responding positively. The film is tracking to be a financial hit, currently tracking an opening weekend total of $6-to-8 million, against a production budget of just $11 million.

Personally, I was skeptical of how this film would turn out, largely because I wasn’t sold on the premise. Not helping the matter was that almost every single screening I have attended this year featured this movie’s trailer in the pre-show reel, which quickly got irritating for me. That said, I was still opting to give it a shot, as I do enjoy Landon’s previous works with Blumhouse and wanted to see how he would approach a more straightforward suspenseful tone.

On Monday, April 7, I enthusiastically booked a ticket to a mystery screening–an event where theaters play a new movie before its nationwide release, but do not provide hints as to what the film will be–at the local Cinépolis Luxury Cinemas on Route 57. Once I got settled in my recliner seat, I was delighted to figure out the film they were screening: Drop. As I left the theater, I was left with one question: did this movie continue Blumhouse’s streak of success, or is it as pleasant as an abrupt phone crash? 

Powering On

Drop centers on a woman named Violet, who attends her first date with a man named Henry. But throughout the evening, she receives constant threatening pictures and messages from an anonymous sender, courtesy of the Digi-Drop feature on her phone. These threats all culminate when Violet’s house is broken into and she is given a horrific ultimatum by the sender: kill Henry and don’t tell anyone about her circumstances, or else the intruder will kill her son, Toby. 

Bringing this terrifying situation to life is a crew of talented actors, including Meghann Fahy, Brandon Sklenar, Violett Beane, Jacob Robinson, and Reed Diamond among others. 

I was flabbergasted by how much I enjoyed this movie, which cements itself as a strong addition to both Landon’s and Blumhouse’s filmographies. This is largely because of how well it manages to utilize a concept that sounds completely ridiculous on paper. The idea of menacing Digi-Drops, at first glance, seems like the type of movie more suited for Landon’s typical comedic style rather than a Hitchcock-type thriller. 

Yet, the film puts its tension at the forefront, resulting in many intense moments as the sender’s messages grow more threatening. Landon’s unique approach to Drop, compared to his previous horror-comedies, is highly refreshing as it shows a newer side to his filmmaking style not seen before. Some of his humor still makes it through, courtesy of sarcastic quips from various characters, but it isn’t the sole focus of the movie. As a result, it leaves a consistent tone that never falls too deep into comedy, while also not feeling overly-dramatic. 

There are also plenty of moments that do a solid job of subverting viewer expectations, leading to many creative outcomes, especially in the third act. However, there are also moments that can be predictable. Some of the plot points and additional conflicts established have highly foreseeable outcomes, which can taint some of the suspense the movie sets up. While these moments never fully ruin the experience because of the accompanying tension, they are still noticeable in how the film plays out its overarching plot.

Return to Sender

This film does not feature a massive cast of primary characters, but the ones who are featured do a solid job at bringing this situation to life. This is especially the case with Fahy and Sklenar as Violet and Henry, respectively. The two provide strong personalities to their characters, with Fahy’s fear and anxiety perfectly contrasting with Sklenar’s charm and concern. As the runtime progresses and the conflict becomes more boisterous, their talents shine even further, with Fahy particularly shining in the movie’s climax. 

The great personalities also lead to many strong character moments courtesy of Fahy and Sklenar’s chemistry. From the moment they first meet, they find the right balance in how to interact, with many of their moments feeling genuine. As a result, the movie has a fair share of heartfelt interactions, especially as Henry’s concerns grow as Violet panics over her situation. The two also have their own character arcs, which are developed as they continue to bond, ultimately culminating satisfactorily at the picture’s conclusion. 

The rest of the cast also performs their characters well, with Beane and Diamond also standing out. That said, they do not have as much of an impact as Violet and Henry. Many of them are often glossed over, not serving much purpose to the main plot and being quickly forgotten. Even the ones who do contribute to the plot, for the most part, do not interact with the protagonists very much, so there isn’t as much significance or development in their roles. As a result, the secondary characters are generally forgettable despite the solid performances from their actors.

Loss of Signal

One of the aspects of this film which impressed me the most was its setting. The vast majority of the movie takes place in a restaurant called Palate, located on one of the top floors of a high-rise building. Landon captures the atmosphere of the location expertly, and toys around with it to fit the suspenseful tone. He isolates Violet, Henry, and most of the secondary characters in this one-floor bougie eatery, with one of the patrons sticking out as the message sender who torments Violet. The setting uses a limited space to its advantage in a way that keeps viewers on edge until all is revealed in the third act.

Adding to this location’s tension is the height of Palate’s location. Without giving too much away about the plot, I will say that it plays a major role in the movie’s climax. It paves the way for an intense series of events as the characters face the additional threat of falling to their potential doom, which was also teased in the trailers. As a whole, the restaurant’s isolated location mixed with its super tall height make for a unique thriller setting, while still horrifying in its own way.

As previously stated, the film’s final minutes make the best usage of this area and also bring out the most thrills in the tone. However, the movie moved at a gradually slower pace in the first half, which gets a little too drawn-out. It did take a while for the feature to kick into full gear, with some earlier scenes dragging on and taking a bit too long to get to the point. 

Mixed with the predictable story beats, it sometimes made the movie feel a bit tedious as I eagerly waited for certain events to play out. While the slower-paced first half had no impact on the overall tone, especially thanks to Fahy and Sklenar’s chemistry, it still lacked some energy and felt somewhat prolonged because of the predictable outcomes. 

Accepting the Message

Overall, despite some forgettable side characters, foreseeable plot points, and a slow first half, Drop is a surprisingly tense thriller due to its secluded setting, great performances, strong chemistry between the two leads, and refreshing change in direction from Landon’s prior works. Even with the initial skepticism I had with its premise, the movie still found a way to maintain a tense tone, resulting in a strong addition to Landon’s and Blumhouse’s overall filmography.

If you’re a fan of the suspense genre or want some variation on a thriller theme, I’d recommend checking this movie out to satisfy those cravings. Drop is currently playing in theaters nationwide, including the nearby Cinépolis Luxury Cinemas Mansfield. For a fun spin on a classic thriller formula with a modernized twist, Landon and Blumhouse have got you covered with their latest outing!

I might have gotten annoyed with the initial trailer, but I cannot deny that the movie itself was a massive surprise, and certainly worth dropping in to see a second time.

My Rating