Drop Review: Meghann Fahy Horror Movie Delivers Technological Psychological Thrills

Christopher Landon’s Drop takes a deceptively simple premise and spins it into a taut, nerve-wracking thriller that thrives on claustrophobic tension and genuine unpredictability. Violet (Meghann Fahy) is a widowed mother who has recently been freed from an abusive relationship. She goes on her first date with a man named Henry (Brandon Sklenar). All seems to go well until anonymous memes are sent to Violet’s phone. What begins as an eerie digital prank escalates into a nightmarish game of control and coercion as Violet finds herself trapped in a sadistic power play with an unseen tormentor.

Landon, best known for his sharp genre-blending in Happy Death Day and Freaky, employs a grounded yet stylish approach to heighten the suspense. This is a far more serious film than many of his more recent horror comedies. Although there is some absurd humor in the film’s inciting event, Drop is careful about riding the tone of this film and never making it too funny. The film’s tight framing and relentless pacing mirror Violet’s escalating anxiety, keeping the audience firmly in her corner as she’s forced to make one impossible decision after another. There’s an efficiency to the storytelling that recalls the inescapable momentum of Red Eye or Non-Stop, other films that featured protagonists trapped in one place facing challenging decisions. With films like this, you’re in lockstep with the protagonist and wonder what you would do in this terrifying situation.

Fahy delivers a gripping performance as Violet, capturing both the raw terror and desperate resolve of a woman cornered by forces beyond her control. Her chemistry with Henry works as well. Their first date is written quite well, and there’s a reasonable amount of both awkwardness and comfortability with these two people getting to know each other and learning how to joke around. Furthermore, as Violet is forced to continually excuse herself to deal with this situation, there’s a dark layer of humor in how terrible this date is going and how Henry seemingly has no clue what’s going on.

The unpredictability of Drop is its greatest strength. One of the best ideas in this film is how, once Violet enters that restaurant for the first time, she meets a few people, and any of them could be a red herring or the mastermind behind it all. Then, as Violet tries to deduce who the killer is, we do too. The stakes feel higher than ever in this scenario. The mastermind wants Violet to kill her date, or her young son will be killed. She’s in over her head in this situation, and nothing about any of this is easy. This Hitchcockian film features high-stakes, one-location thrills and keeps you guessing in every minute.

Beneath the pulse-pounding tension, Drop also does not shy away from depicting the horrors of domestic violence. It’s always great to see a real-world issue weaved into a genre film, and some of the more horrifying sequences in the movie include the opening, which depicts the violence that Violet faced during her marriage. It gets even more interesting when the film heavily implies that Henry went through a similar situation. It’s a surprisingly effective theme that may be triggering for people who have been in these scenarios in real life, but the movie ultimately ends up being about the resilience of survivors.

There are some issues holding the movie back. The premise of starting the thrills with the character getting shared memes is hilarious and somewhat useless in retrospect. The only real function it serves is letting us know the killer is somewhere in the restaurant with her, but it can also feel like the movie started with that relatable concept and needed to figure out how to justify it. The storyline can be absurd because when you think about the villain’s plan, this is one of the most needlessly elaborate evil schemes ever, and there were a million easier ways for the killer to get what they wanted. Also, Violet makes a slightly predictable yet still surprising choice to reveal a piece of information near the end of the movie. This revelation allows Drop to get cranked up to an 11 and gives us a more action-packed finale, but so much could have been avoided had she not revealed this information.

Landon’s knack for visual storytelling makes even simple text messages feel sinister, using cinematography and sound design to pull the audience into Violet’s paranoia. The result is a thriller that feels fresh, contained, and deeply engaging. Drop is an exhilarating ride, balancing edge-of-your-seat thrills with sharp thematic underpinnings. By embracing its unpredictability and keeping the stakes deeply personal, it stands out in a crowded genre and proves once again that Landon knows exactly how to keep an audience hooked. You’ll sympathize with these characters and have a great time with this one, particularly if you can suspend some disbelief.

SCORE: 7/10

As ComingSoon’s review policy explains, a score of 7 equates to “Good.” A successful piece of entertainment that is worth checking out, but it may not appeal to everyone.

Source: Comingsoon.net