Movie Review: DROP starring Meghann Fay, Brandon Sklenar

The latest thriller to drop into theaters is the Christopher Landon directed Drop, a whodunnit-inspired digital nightmare for anyone with a decent cell phone plan. The film, starring Meghann Fay as Violet and Brandon Sklenar as Henry, sees the pair meeting up for a first date at a sky lounge restaurant. Having met on a dating app, Fay’s Violet and Sklenar’s Henry both seem to have the first date jitters, Violet more so as her evening begins by receiving a series of airdrops, which the film refers to as “digidrops.” These drops collect a set of memes and taunting messages. Each message alludes to one thing: Violet will be having the worst night of her life.

The menacing messages begin to take a more threatening tone as Violet soon checks the security cameras at her house to realize that a masked assailant is waving at the camera, in the same house as her son. She is ordered to comply and tasked with killing her date. She soon realizes there is not a spot in the restaurant where she can hide, because whoever is sending these drops to her phone, can see and hear everything and are one step ahead the entire time.

What comes after is a game of cat and bigger cat, as a distressed Violet tries to get help without alerting whoever is watching her. Trying to hide what is actually going on from her date, Violet spends the remainder of the flick attempting to outsmart whoever is on the other end of the digital drops she has been receiving.

The film was fast-paced and kept a narrative that was believable and maintained a likable character that was a victim of her circumstances. While at times it seemed a little silly, the hysteria of the main character seems to keep the plot grounded. I admire the awkwardness of the film because the dialogue between the two main characters on a first date, while under some absurd circumstances, seemed to leak off the screen and was almost uncomfortable to watch, which I enjoyed. If anything, the film serves as a reminder to check your phone settings next time you’re in an unfamiliar crowd. The news has highlighted some of the innocent airdrops from people on public transport and festivals in real life, while the flick seems to serve as a warning of a “worst case scenario.” The cast was great, the story was original, and the pacing kept me wondering what was going to happen. The whodunnit vibe was especially appreciated.

Drop is fresh, fun, and delightfully entertaining. The film earns a B-.