Christopher Landon creates a sensational surveillance mystery that leads to something dizzying and thrilling.
A silly and sensational mystery, completely confident in its own conceit, "Drop" combines technological paranoia with the looming specter of abuse to create something surprisingly tense and entertaining. Directed by Christopher Landon, known for his roles in "Happy Death Day" and "Paranormal Activity," the film's complex plots are executed with skill and dexterity. Although set in a fine-dining restaurant, it's a near-perfect junk food thriller, balancing the tensions of kidnapping, conspiracy, and murder with those of a stressful first date. It's fresh and delicious.
Director: Christopher Landon
Writers: Jillian Jacobs, Chris Roach
Stars: Meghann Fahy, Brandon Sklenar, Violett Beane
After a chilling prologue featuring a couple pointing guns at each other (a scene whose purpose becomes clear much later), "Drop" gently introduces its protagonist, Violet (Meghann Fahy), a widowed mother, as she prepares for her first date with Henry (Brandon Sklenar), a handsome photographer she's been chatting with online. Her sarcastic and supportive sister, Jen (Violett Beane), helps her get ready for the evening and babysits her adorable 5-year-old son, Toby (Jacob Robinson), while Violet heads to the exclusive Palate restaurant, whose winding oak hallways lead to a warm and decadent atrium overlooking the city.
The ornate restaurant, built entirely for the production, hosts various innocent interactions between Violet, the colorful staff (the intrusive, overenthusiastic bartender played by Jeffery Self is a particular charmer), and some peculiar patrons at the bar where she awaits Henry's arrival. This introduction subtly combines first-date jitters with the introduction of several possible culprits (and, of course, red herrings) for when Violet is finally tormented by the digital waves. As the night progresses, she receives increasingly complex instructions to retrieve certain items from Henry and, ultimately, harm him, to prevent a masked gunman in her home, visible to her via her security camera app, from harming her sister and child.
At first, these orders come to her via recognizable internet memes sent as drops (what iPhones call AirDrop and Androids call Quick Share). Though the image macros fade in favor of direct, threatening text—which Landon sparingly projects onto Violet's surroundings, rather than cutting to her phone—still utilizing the limits of drop technology keeps the film moving. To send something this way, the sender must be within a distance of about 15 meters, i.e., inside the restaurant. This creates a fun and fervent paranoia as Violet tours the establishment and focuses on numerous individuals who begin to appear in the spotlight. The plot can feel repetitive, oscillating between Violet trying to follow the rules of anonymity and sneaking away to seek help (only to be overtaken), but the film's exciting, almost theatrical formal touches and disorienting approach keep the proceedings flowing.
At first, Violet lets the quiet Henry know that something is wrong, but she is soon forced to restrict the information she can share. As an innocent person caught in a larger web, her story resembles mechanical thrillers like "Nick of Time" and "Grand Piano," but with a structure of clever emotional double entendres. As tension mounts and Violet discovers the multiple ways she is being watched (including by the restaurant's security cameras), she must also maintain an air of normalcy, which allows "Drop" to double as a first-date drama, allowing the viewer to genuinely become invested in her relationship with Henry. That her sister and her child are in danger is, of course, a concern that can be intellectually rationalized, but after a while, the crux of the film becomes whether Violet can regain romantic happiness or whether she will be responsible for ruining this encounter.
This may seem like an absurd concern, given that Henry is at risk of dying. However, Fahy and Sklenar share the chemistry of dazzling movie stars and offer a semblance of immense depth and complexity when the film addresses the abuse Violet has suffered in her past. While not exactly revelatory in its observations of interpersonal power dynamics, the mere mention clarifies why this premise works so well.
Comments
Post a Comment