Drop (2025)

​“Drop” stars Meghann Fahy, Brandon Sklenar, Violett Beane, Jacob Robinson, Reed Diamond, Gabrielle Ryan Spring, Jeffery Self, Ed Weeks, and Travis Nelson.  Releasing on April 11, 2025, the film has a widowed mother being terrorized by anonymous AirDrops on her phone.

The film is directed by Christopher Landon, who also directed films such as “Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse”, “Happy Death Day”, and “Freaky”.  Occasionally, we become easily distracted by our phones while spending quality time with others, especially when someone texts us.  If it isn’t from a person we know, the first thing that comes to mind is to ignore it and go about our day.  However, this specific stranger is willing to have their texts answered, even if it means threatening to kill their loved ones to get those responses.  This is why it’s important to have phones on silent when you’re going out with someone, but apparently, someone didn’t take this hint to heart.  This resulted in the latest film by redeeming director Christopher Landon, which seeks to provide enough entertaining merits in its straightforward Hitchcockian thriller.  Was it able to accomplish this mission to distract its audience from their own phones, or are we better off putting it on silent?  Let’s find out.

The story follows Violet (Fahy), a widowed mother returning to the dating world after recovering from a toxic relationship.  She leaves behind her younger sister Jen (Beane) to babysit her son, Toby (Robinson), to attend a date with a man named Henry (Sklenar).  However, Violet’s seemingly harmless date takes a sharp turn when she is interrupted by a series of anonymous AirDrop messages on her phone from an unknown person.  Initially seen as a prank, the AirDrops on Violet’s phone turn deadly when the texter forces her to follow their devious instructions, or they’ll kill Jen and Toby.  Left with no other option, Violet is forced to compete in the texter’s sick game, eventually forcing her to make a fateful decision when she’s tasked with killing her date.

It’s no mystery that Christopher Landon has been turning his directorial career around with his works in the horror genre, mainly the slasher comedy ones.  Except for the Netflix film, “We Have a Ghost”, Landon has consistently revitalized the horror genre with charismatic humor and fun frights, especially the “Happy Death Day” movies.  His winning streak made me eager to see “Drop”, which sees him tackle a different genre than the director’s usual slasher schtick.  Instead of a straightforward killer-on-the-loose premise, Christopher Landon was tasked with using his directorial expertise to convey a “whodunit” mystery scenario that utilizes modern technology, mainly cell phones.  The outcome is precisely what I envisioned: a consistently entertaining and skillfully crafted thriller experience that highlights the cast’s talents and Landon’s expertise in his polished and visually striking style.

In fact, I might even say that this is Landon’s best work I’ve seen in his entire directorial career.  It amazes me how far this filmmaker has come after starting with three average films, only to find his creative spark with “Happy Death Day” and continue succeeding from there.  It goes to show that you only give up if you quit before finding that right spark.  You might be thinking, “How is it Landon’s best work?”  What makes “Drop” stand out from his other directorial efforts like “Happy Death Day” and “Freaky”?  The answer is Landon’s departure from the offbeat and bizarre slasher element in favor of a more down-to-earth mystery approach to its concept.  While I still appreciate his refreshing takes on the slasher genre, this approach was an excellent opportunity for the director to experiment with his signature style with another genre.  To my surprise, this experiment was more successful than I thought it would be.  In addition to the slick panning effects, immersive wide-angle shots, and striking visual designs, Landon retained the charismatic humor and suspenseful energy that made his previous films enjoyable.  This charm and energy stemmed from the main characters, Violet and Henry, whose chemistry oozes with charisma and heart, reminiscent of many romantic films we’ve seen.  It also helped Landon retain that momentum for 95 minutes straight, resulting in a non-stop, intense ride that urges audiences to stay off their phones. 

However, he also played a role in the film’s handling of the lighting and editing effects, which elevated its fancy yet contained production design and tone.  The ideas involving the lighting around the characters, including Violet, aren’t just a way to show off the film’s visually dim presentation.  The lighting effects served as a metaphorical representation of the dating world, particularly domestic abuse.  They illustrate Violet as a victim of her toxic relationship, showcasing her internal struggles to break free from the invisible chains holding her back from gaining confidence.  That’s all I can say without spoiling anything else because this is another movie worth watching without any prior knowledge.  Trust me; it's more fun this way.  If that’s the intent it’s trying to accomplish in the lighting and editing, then I applaud Landon for taking that approach to heart, proving there are multiple ways to tell a story, not just through dialogue.  Despite the one action scene that was butchered by choppy editing, “Drop” is another reason people should give Christopher Landon’s directorial style a chance if they haven’t already done so.  More importantly, it demonstrated that Landon has the proper capability to helm different genres outside of horror.

Regarding the screenplay, a good mystery always utilizes the film’s surroundings, motives, and twists to its full intent to keep people guessing until the end.  Of course, it’s also essential to deliver a good story worthy of its themes, characters, and surprises.  This is what writers Jillian Jacobs and Chris Roach were tasked with accomplishing without making certain elements too predictable or obvious.  So, how did they do?  Honestly, they did pretty darn good.  Not only was the script well-written for its contained environment and intricate twists, but it also conveyed the humanity and emotion of the characters who just want to have a good time without being bothered by blind dates or abusive relationships.  It has a genuine touch that doesn’t feel too sappy or phoned in when blended with light-hearted humor and down-to-earth frights.  When you have characters and themes that are more humane than being just storytelling tools, that’s how you know you have a suitably crafted script on your hands, and “Drop” is another example of this case.

Going back to Violet and Henry, these two characters are the driving forces behind the movie’s premise and enticing mystery.  Whenever the thriller aspect decided to take a break, the movie expected these two potential lovebirds to carry some of its laidback sequences until the thrills kicked back up again.  As someone who hasn’t watched many romance movies, I have to say that the conversations between Violet and Henry are some of my favorite parts of the film.  Whether they’re having a good time or being suspicious of one another, these two characters are incredibly likable to watch, thanks to Christopher Landon’s ability to convey charisma through their auras.  I would even be fine watching them talk for 95 minutes straight without any suspicious AirDrop messages ruining the night.  This is also due to the main leads’ delightful performances, including Meghann Fahy.  With her roles in this and “The Unbreakable Boy”, Fahy has begun to be more exposed to the film industry, which I don’t mind, given her talents onscreen.  “Drop” has Fahy expressing her acting flair in a leading role with stellar results, effectively displaying Violet’s inner turmoil, compassion, and vulnerability while infusing the character with a spark of vitality.  Brandon Sklenar also did a fantastic job as Henry, as the actor’s appealing aura matches Fahy’s spirit flawlessly.  I would also point out that Jeffery Self as Matt, the waiter of the restaurant the characters attended, was an unexpected surprise regarding the humor.  I was worried that he might become an unbearable nuisance throughout the film’s runtime, but no.  Matt genuinely made me laugh every time he was on screen.  Somebody should definitely give this server a raise.

Overall, “Drop” is a skillfully contained and consistently compelling mystery that’s worth texting about.  The movie only suffered a bit from some of its choppy editing, mainly from the one action scene I wouldn’t spoil.  Besides that, this is a well-directed and slickly designed thrill ride with plenty of AirDrop messages about the current state of the dating world, toxic or otherwise.  Meghann Fahy and Brandon Sklenar provided infectious chemistry worthy of carrying the scenes between the mystery aspects regarding their performances and characters.  Additionally, Christopher Landon continues to deliver the goods in his distinctive presentation regarding the cinematography, charming humor, suspense, and lighting effects.  Along with its strong screenplay and plot twists, the film is an enticingly fun experience that’ll make people think twice before answering their AirDrop messages.  If you’re in the mood for an exciting modern tech mystery, this is one movie you shouldn’t dare to drop.  

A-