Drop

The trailer seemed to give too much away but the clever dialog made it refreshing to watch. Only complaint is that almost every man in the cast is brown haired with a beard so keeping track of many of the characters was confusing. Overall an enjoyable movie and very cleverly written. A great use of tying in what was being delivered via text messages with the images on the screen. So glad to be out of the dating scene now that I'm reminded of what first dates are like. You do feel for all the characters And the view from the restaurant is pretty fantastic. A great small space view with a lot going on.

Bad day; first I sat through this tripe then I realised I was in agreement with a UK film critic. It really is poor, especially the first 75 minutes in which we're meant to feel tension but can't partly because the two main actors can't deliver any but also because the script is mediocre at best. There follows a better but not great 15-minutes when the pace is upped somewhat and the miscreant is identified, bringing some form of tension but sadly it descends into farce for the ending. Can't anyone in Hollywood shoot straight? Not that it matters because apparently a woman can be picked up one-handed by a guy with a knife on his shoulder. On the plus side, I enjoyed my nachos and sauces more than they enjoyed their meal.

I wouldn't say to Drop everything to see this, but if you're feeling nostalgia for the 90s Suspense-Action popcorn flicks, this is for you.

Definitely reminded me of an old favorite of mine, Nick of Time, starring Johnny Depp/Christopher Walken from 1995. Both movies put innocent people in extraordinary circumstances to save their loved ones. So, if you even remember that low-key (for Depp) thriller, and liked it, this would make a great double-feature.

First dates are killer. A recently widowed mother agrees to a first date with a gorgeous hunk of a man. Unfortunately, things go sideways when she receives instructions on her phone from someone nearby, in the restaurant...and her date, her son and her chances of a second date might be in grave trouble.

It's not perfect, by any means. I should've known who was sending the messages from the get-go, and you might figure it out immediately. Yeah, yeah, I didn't think too hard and everyone's a red herring. I just laid back and left my brain at the door to have fun.

And it was suspenseful to see how she'd save her son (who's being watched over by a goon at her home,) her date (whose life is in her hands) and how she'd escape this terrible mess she's been targeted for. And when the heat does kick up in the last 15 minutes, it is a ton of fun.

Not an award-winner and hardly original at all. Still, I had a good time. Some of the artsy camera work was cool, but honestly it was so little of it, I'm not sure why they chose to experiment for just about 20 seconds of film in different scenes.

If you do like Nick of Time, Red Eye, Don't Say a Word, I guess the original Saw, and any others where someone's kidnapped/held hostage so someone can be the unwilling assassin, this is yet another one. And recommended.

***

Final Thoughts: I've heard about this "Screen Unseen" thing movie theatres are doing whereas you buy a ticket for a movie that hasn't been released yet and all you know is the length and rating. I got my first email for one and had to attempt fate...at what they chose for me. Dear Lord, I was afraid it'd be a melodrama or family-friendly Romcom. I *HAD* hoped this would've been The Amateur or even, Mission: Impossible 7b, but, I'm fine with Drop. I saw the trailers, liked what I saw and did eventually want to see this. That said, the trailers pretty much give away everything...so I would avoid those if you wish to go in cold.

One trend I can totally get behind is the return of '90s-style, nonsensical action films - and 'Drop' is a perfect example of just how fun that can be. It's full of high-stakes chaos, tech-fuelled paranoia, and a plot that spirals in the best kind of way.

The social commentary lands surprisingly well, with the AirDrop-as-menace angle tapping into real digital-age fears. And I loved the video game-esque text placements on screen - bold, stylised, and just the right kind of over-the-top.

The acting? A bit cringe, yes - but intentionally so. Meghann Fahy really leans into the melodrama, and Brandon Sklenar does a great job playing the increasingly bewildered date. Special shoutout to Violett Beane, whose dry delivery added just the right bite.

But a bone to pick: that child actor... GOD AWFUL. It's even more glaring when you think about someone like Owen Cooper in 'Adolescence' - proof that you can cast a young actor who brings genuine weight to the screen. This kid just wasn't it. Still, if you're after a chaotic, neon-tinged thrill ride with something to say, 'Drop' is a blast.

The first half of the movie is alright. It builds up a bit of a mystery and it's fun to work through possible answers. I sat there in the theater thinking who might have done what, in what order, and to what end, and I enjoy this sort of thing. It's suspenseful when the main character is put in a stressful situation and you can see her try to work through it at the same as you. But then, when things finally start to get resolved... my reaction was something like the guy in that "Son, I am disappoint" meme. To say the script has plot holes is an understatement. It's utterly nonsensical. All you can do is laugh. At the script and at yourself, for thinking this was a case for the Lone Gunmen, when in fact it had been an episode of Scooby Doo all along.