DROP Reviewed by GREG KING
Director: Christopher Landon
Stars: Meghann Fahy, Brandon Sklenar, Jack Robinson, Violette Beane, Gabrielle Ryan Spring, Reed Diamond, Jeffrey Self, Ed Weeks, Travis Nelson.
A couple meet at a swanky restaurant in Chicago for a first date. But as Drop has been produced by Blum House, better known for their low budget horror films, we know that this is not going to be some meet cute rom com.
Psychologist Violet Gates (Meghann Fahy, from tv series The White Lotus, etc) is a widow who has survived a violent relationship. After five years her abusive husband committed suicide she has finally taken the plunge and dipped back into the dating scene. She leaves her young son Toby (Jack Robinson) at home in the care of her sister Jen (Violette Beane) while she nervously heads out to Palate, the trendy high-rise restaurant atop a Chicago skyscraper. She is meeting Henry Campbell (Brandon Sklenar, from the tv series 1923, etc), a photographer who works in the mayor’s office. She has been talking to him via a dating app.
But soon after sitting down at their table, which has gorgeous views of the city below, Violet begins to receive mysterious drop messages on her phone. They become more threatening. Violet is told to follow instructions or else her son and sister will suffer. Violet negotiates these threats while continuing the date with Henry who has become a little disturbed by her erratic behaviour.
The messages are being sent from DigiDrop, an anonymous location-based file transfer application, somewhere within the vicinity of the restaurant itself. While trying to maintain a semblance of normality, Violet tries to figure out the identity of her sinister stalker.
The filmmakers introduce us to a number of suspects, including Cara (Gabrielle Ryan Spring, from Hereafter, etc), the overly helpful bartender; Matt (Jeffrey Self, from Search Party, etc), the obnoxious gay waiter and aspiring actor; Phil (Ed Weeks, from tv series The Mindy Project, etc), the restaurant’s pianist; Richard (Reed Diamond, from Pearl, etc), a nervous and lonely man on a blind date; and fellow diner Connor (Travis Nelson, from tv series The Lake, etc).
Drop has been deftly scripted by Jillian Jacobs and Chris Roach (Truth Or Dare, etc), who effectively ratchet up the suspense of the scenario, which was apparently inspired by an incident experienced by one of the film’s producers during a dinner at a swanky restaurant. This cleverly constructed and entertaining psychological thriller film unfolds with lots of twists and turns that keeps the audience on the edge of their seat for much of its tight 90-minute running time.
Marc Spicer’s cinematography is bright and the setting well-lit and his camera prowls through the restaurant. Superb production design from Susie Cullen (Albert Nobbs, etc) creates the glossy interior for the swanky restaurant. And the way that filmmakers use modern technology to display the messages on the screen is also quite well done.
Director Christopher Landon (best known for his work with the Paranormal Activity series) does a great job of maintaining the claustrophobic suspense throughout the tight and generally well-paced drama. He manages to inject nice touches of humour into the material. A suspension of disbelief is required to move through the more obvious holes in the plotting.
Fahy brings a mix of vulnerability and resolve to her performance. Sklenar brings a mix of charm and endearing awkwardness to his performance as Henry. The chemistry between Fahy and Sklenar is palpable.
Like a couple of other films such as Phone Booth, Red Eye and the recent Locked, in which a person is threatened in a claustrophobic single setting, once the drama moves beyond that setting it loses something. Drop does lose much of its freshness once it moves beyond the restaurant setting and the third act descends into more familiar cliche.
★★★☆
