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Fall (M, 102mins) Directed by Scott Mann ****½
“A horrible thing happened to you, but you have to start living your life again.”
It’s been 51 weeks since Becky Connor (Shazam!’s Grace Caroline Currey) watched her husband Dan (Scream VI’s Mason Gooding) fall to his death in front of her while rock climbing. However, while she’s still leaving him voicemails and barely leaving the house, her father James (The Walking Dead’s Jeffrey Dean Morgan) is convinced she needs to move on.
It’s a sentiment shared by the other person who was on the cliff-face that fateful day – her best mate Hunter (All the Bright Places’ Virginia Gardner).
“I have something planned – and I need a partner-in-crime,” she says, adding that it’s a mission that would not only help Becky confront her fears, but also allow her to scatter Dan’s ashes in an appropriate way.
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A six-hour drive away, the now defunct B67 TV Tower was once the tallest structure in the US. More than 2000ft tall, the climb would mostly involve a ladder climb inside a steel cage, before switching to an external ladder which leads to a platform that promises extraordinary views.
While still somewhat reticent, Becky is eventually overwhelmed by her friend’s enthusiasm and conviction that their footage will make them famous. The rungs though are not exactly in pristine condition – and the bolts that hold the ladders in place aren’t quite as tight as they once were.
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Offering plenty of reminders that the most devastating thing can be hope, Fall is a simple premise executed with brutal, bravura and brilliant effectiveness.
Likely to be the tensest viewing you’ve endured in a long time, Fall is a sweat-inducing, butt-clenching, white-knuckle thrill ride that will keep you on the edge of your seat as it squeezes every last drop of adrenaline out of this seemingly straightforward scenario.
Just when you think you’ve got it all mapped out, there’s another narrative twist or setback for our dynamic duo.
Director and co-writer Scott Mann (Dave Bautista-starring actioners Final Score and Heist) does a terrific job of creating a truly vertiginous sense of space and place, benefiting greatly from the decision to shoot practically rather than using green screens (in fact, the main digital manipulation apparently used was a touch of deep-faking so the somewhat salty dialogue could be pared back to earn a lower censorship classification).
Supplied
Likely to be the tensest viewing you’ve endured in a long time, Fall is a sweat-inducing, butt-clenching, white-knuckle thrill ride that will keep you on the edge of your seat, as it squeezes every last drop of adrenaline out of this seemingly straightforward scenario.
Not a scene is wasted, either on the ground or atop the mast, as Mann constantly finds new angles and ways to keep the action fresh and audience fully engaged in Becky and Hunter’s plight.
The two actors also deserve plenty of kudos. As well as performing most of their own stunts, they also sell the premise and their disparate characters – Becky’s trauma never far from the surface and Hunter a whirlwind of confidence, cleavage and brightly coloured Converses.
Offering plenty of reminders that the most devastating thing can be hope, Fall is a simple premise executed with brutal, bravura and brilliant effectiveness.
Fall is now available to stream on Neon.
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