In Christopher Landon's thrilling film "Drop," a grieving widow embarks on the daunting journey back into the dating world, only to find herself ensnared in a harrowing game of cat and mouse. Echoing the pulse-pounding suspense of classics like "Phone Booth," "Red Eye," and more recently, "Carry-On," this Blumhouse production, which premiered at SXSW before its theatrical debut in April, masterfully balances its pulp fiction narrative with a chilling, escalating tension. Landon's adept handling of suspense, paired with an engaging romantic subplot and outstanding performances from Meghann Fahy (of "The White Lotus") and Brandon Sklenar, render "Drop" a gripping, popcorn-munching delight.
As with its cinematic predecessors, "Drop's" premise hinges on compromised technology and shadowy anonymous perpetrators. For those who shun spoilers, suffice it to say that the film is best experienced without foreknowledge. During a dinner date with Henry (played by Sklenar), a photographer she met on a dating app, Violet (played by Fahy) starts receiving annoying "digiDrops" from an unseen sender. This fictional program mirrors AirDrop, a real-life wireless feature that allows Apple users to exchange files within a certain proximity. Initially, Violet receives peculiar memes urging her to accept the incoming messages. Henry dismisses them as likely pranks by nearby teenagers.
But as the messages turn increasingly menacing, Violet finds them harder to disregard. She soon realizes that the anonymous sender has her son Toby (played by Jack Robinson) in their clutches. If Violet fails to comply with their demands, Toby will perish. Even before this harrowing ultimatum, Violet was a bundle of jittery nerves. Landon skillfully builds suspense for this pivotal moment—the first of many twists in "Drop"—by opening the film with romantic-comedy aspirations. We witness Violet anxiously prepare for her date with her sister Jen (played by Violett Beane), who has kindly offered to babysit Toby. As a therapist for domestic violence survivors, the single mother hasn't dated since her abusive ex-husband's demise, and her grief is wrapped in a tapestry of complex emotions. For the most part, "Drop" tackles this aspect of the story with sensitivity, although a confrontation in the film's third act left this critic somewhat unsettled.
Upon arriving at the date spot—an opulent restaurant perched atop a towering high-rise somewhere in Chicago—Violet's nerves are frayed to the breaking point. She's changed outfits three times and is worried about missing Toby's bedtime routine. Henry, a photographer for the mayor's office, seems like a decent guy, but she feels awkward about keeping him waiting three months for dinner. A few pivotal interactions help ease Violet's tension: She meets an elderly man (played by Reed Diamond) also on a first date and forms a bond with the affable bartender (played by Gabrielle Ryan).
By the time Henry arrives, Violet appears visibly calmer. The pair immediately hit it off, indulging in each other's awkward moments and bonding through people-watching. Fahy and Sklenar infuse their characters' interactions with the hesitant pauses and fleeting glances that make the uncertain nature of early romantic encounters so endearing. The couple's waiter (played by Jeffrey Self of "Search Party"), an aspiring stand-up comedian whose clumsiness on the job helps alleviate their apprehensiveness, contributes to the charming ambiance. Reinforced by a warm visual palette (courtesy of DP Marc Spicer), this atmosphere dulls the creepiness of those initial drops, lulling us into a false sense of ease—much like the meet-cute between Cillian Murphy and Rachel McAdams' characters in "Red Eye."
From this moment onward, Landon, working from a screenplay by Jillian Jacobs and Christopher Roach, steadily ratchets up the suspense. Intimate shots, which underscore the nascent romance, make way for unsettling wide-angle close-ups and pans that transform this high-end restaurant into a gilded prison. "Drop" feels even more claustrophobic when Landon overlays Violet's messages onto the screen. At times, this aesthetic choice teeters on the brink of gimmickry, but for the most part, it works wonders. And Susie Cullen's production design transforms typical hallmarks of a fine-dining establishment—windowless bathroom stalls, amber mood lighting, a stoic staff—into elements of a garish nightmare.
There's a playful campiness to "Drop's" drama that lends the whole affair a touch of silliness, but Fahy's performance sells us on it. The actress portrays the clumsiness of a first date with the same conviction as the panic induced by someone threatening her son's life. Even when the story defies logic, as it often does, Fahy shapes a compelling character that audiences can both laugh with and cheer for.
