‘Drop’ gives us a killer first date
Filmmaker Christopher Landon is back, and his new movie is very on-brand. The man who helmed the likes of “Happy Death Day,” “Happy Death Day 2 U,” and “Freaky” now offers “Drop,” another high-concept thriller where the majority of the runtime takes place at a disastrous first date in a fancy restaurant.
Meghann Fahy, the breakout actress of the second season of HBO’s “The White Lotus,” stars as Violet, a widowed mom going out on a date for the first time since her husband’s death a few years ago. After exchanging messages with a guy for three months(!), they’re finally going out on their first date together, at the new swanky restaurant in Chicago, Palate. She’s a little anxious leaving her son with her sister, as it’ll be the first time they’ll be apart in so long. Spurred on by her sis, she forges ahead, in what will prove to be an unforgettable night.
As soon as she arrives, Violet starts getting airdropped messages from an anonymous sender. At first it’s a mild annoyance, though the worst nightmare for others: someone who communicates via memes. But soon enough it gets creepy as Violet realizes it’s someone who knows way more about her personally than they should, and she discovers her sister and son are in mortal danger, unless she follows the stranger’s instruction to kill her date.
So begins a canny hostage situation that ratchets up the tension scene by scene until it explodes in a fraught climax.
Distractions
Jillian Jacobs and Chris Roach’s screenplay, in Landon’s hands, provides many misdirects, distractions, and red herrings to keep even mystery lovers occupied. There’s a (overly?) friendly bartender, a skeezy guy who bumps into Violet more than once, a cold and suspicious hostess, a drunk and very forward piano player (Ed Weeks, “The Mindy Project”), and a waiter who’s on his first day on the job (Jeffery Self). Then there’s Violet’s date himself, Henry (Brandon Sklenar). An unsuspecting victim, Violet is also trying to figure out just why Henry is a target.
Since the conceit calls for it, “Drop” takes a stylistic approach to displaying all the messages Violet is receiving from her antagonist. They hang in the air at various heights, sizes, and angles, sometimes changing color. We see what Violet sees, and also get to see her reaction to what she sees.
Fahy does a nimble job essentially walking a tightrope, trying not to lose her composure in the face of losing what is most precious to her, especially after the traumatic circumstances of her husband’s death, revealed to us in flashbacks at very particular moments.
Structurally satisfying, these moments indicate to the audience how Violet is going to handle herself under pressure. The villain has rigged the restaurant with microphones and cameras, but Violet has some quick ideas for trying to rebel.
With the movie confined mostly to a single location, Landon and co. tighten the screws, painting Violet into a corner from which there seems to be no escape. It’s a satisfying exercise, and effective at seeding just enough of Violet’s backstory to make the resolution feel earned. So long as Landon strikes these high concepts out of the park, audiences should keep looking forward to what he’ll deliver next.
