DROP – The Worst First Date in History!

DROP is directed by Christopher Landon. The film stars Meghann Fahy, Brandon Sklenar, Violett Beane, Reed Diamond, Jeffrey Self, and Ed Weeks.

Violet is a widowed single mother following the death of her abusive husband who was also the father to her son. Reluctantly, she goes on a date for the first time in years, to an opulent restaurant with a view with Henry, a successful photographer. But from the moment she sits down, she begins receiving threatening drops on her phone, with the promise of killing her young son and sister if she doesn’t cooperate. It’s up to Violet to keep her cool under pressure, doing what’s necessary to appease this unidentified threat to save her loved ones.

DROP is the latest film from Christopher Landon, probably best known for directing the HAPPY DEATH DAY duology a few years back. Those movies beautifully demonstrated that Mr. Landon can create terrifying situations while at the same time finding ways to bring in humor to amuse the audience. DROP is certainly a more “serious” film than those two, but does manage to sneak in a few laughs while feeling genuinely terrifying. It’s an original, modern-day twist on an age-old formula, and despite a few minor missteps, it works.

Christopher Landon has a knack for creating relatable, down-to-earth characters, and succeeds in DROP with Violet, portrayed by Meghann Fahy, a therapist still tortured by her own demons who wants to get back out into the world, and Henry, a photographer with secrets of his own. These are characters we as an audience understand, with everyday living situations, not over-the-top ridiculous ones that were created simply for the sake of scares or comedic moments. Both of them are completely convincing in their parts, and the supporting cast is equally good, with the cast of characters thankfully kept to a comfortable minimum. The standout of the supporting cast is an effeminate waiter portrayed by Jeffrey Self. Please give this character his own movie!

Conveying atmosphere can make or break a movie, but Landon and company succeed gorgeously here. It’s an intense suspense thriller that continues to keep the audience guessing, which also contains a murder mystery element. Nearly all of the movie takes place in a single location, which is a restaurant that somehow manages to feel both opulent and claustrophobic at the same time. DROP looks and sounds amazing, and never manages to feel less than convincing. Occasional doses of humor help to lighten the mood at times, yet thankfully these don’t feel out of place.

If there’s one minor weakness of DROP, it’s that perhaps its ending feels a bit rushed (no spoilers here of course). Yet the overall impression I walked away with was a positive one. DROP thrilled me and kept my eyes glued to the screen the whole time, and anyone wanting a modern-day technological take on suspense thrillers and murder mysteries need look no further from DROP – Christopher Landon has struck cinematic gold once again!