‘Drop’ review: Meghann Fahy goes on a nightmare first date with a perfect man
5/5 threatening memes
Smart horror movies are all the rage these days and Drop joins the list. Who knew that a movie about getting mysterious airdrops could be this good!
The Chris Landon directed film brings us Violet (Meghann Fahy), a widow going on a first date in a long while. Her date Henry (Brandon Sklenar) is a photographer and also happens to be the most patient man of all time as Violet slowly turns their charming date into a game of “how many times is this woman walking away from the table?”
Violet begins getting mystery Digi-Drops (essentially AirDrops) in the form of memes, all getting more threatening by the minute until finally she is told that she has to follow along with whatever the mysterious sender wants her to do or her son and sister will die. Which includes not telling her date about the messages.
It’d be easy for Drop to be predictable but part of what makes it so special to watch is how it leaves you guessing at every turn. It isn’t so easy to figure out who is sending you unwanted messages in a crowded restaurant when everyone is on their phones at the same time. But Drop also has the luxury of being more than a cheap thriller.
Violet as a character is performing the entire time she’s with Henry. She’s told not to tell him what’s going on and she has to pretend like she’s fine. While that might be hard for some, Violet is a domestic abuse survivor and putting on a front to keep up appearances is what she had done in the past. Giving her that background, showing how she has both changed and is still connected to that past relationship really colors Drop‘s characters in a profound way.
A thriller rooted in its strong characters
Even without Violet’s backstory, all of Drop features characters who you instantly know the type. Henry is a photographer who is open and willing to talk to Violet about everything, including her past, and he isn’t doing it in that “fake feminist” guy way. He’s genuinely just a really nice dude.
That mixed with all of the other patrons of the restaurant having their own very specific interactions with Violet made the primarily one setting film feel lived in and real. Every single frame of Drop was thought out and necessary and it truly made for a much better time at the cinemas than even imaginable.
Look, if you’re on the fence of what a movie about threatening memes can do, don’t be. You won’t want to miss Drop because Landon really understood the layers necessary to make this something incredibly special. It is funny, clever, has a lot of heart, and is why I probably won’t go on a date any time soon. I can’t have someone threatening my cat while I’m trying to eat an appetizer!
In all seriousness, Drop is genuinely one of the most surprising movies you’ll see this year and you won’t want to miss a single Digi-Drop.
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