Drop is an efficient Blumhouse production that mixes the Hitchcock playbook with the high-concept premise of an early-2000’s thriller (think Phone Booth or Cellular) while utilizing modern technology.
Meghanny Fahy from The Bold Type and White Lotus takes the lead as Violet Gates, a widowed mother whose abusive marriage came to a violent end. As such, she works as a therapist assisting other women who have been in similar situations. She’s only just now started dipping her toes into the dating world. Through an online app, she sets up dinner with professional photographer Henry Campbell (Brandon Sklenar) at the ritzy Palate, a trendy restaurant at the top of a Chicago high-rise with a beautiful view of the city below. Things are going well until Violet starts receiving strange memes dropped onto her phone. These are amusingly referred to as DigiDrops rather than Airdrops since bad guys can’t use iPhones. The drops turn dark quickly when Violet is told she must obey orders or her family will be killed.
A quick check of her surveillance system shows a masked intruder in her house along with her unsuspecting sister Jen (Violett Beane), who is babysitting her son Toby (Jacob Robinson). The mysterious messenger demands Violet drop poison into her date’s drink. Any refusal to cooperate or call for help will lead to the death of her boy. While playing amateur detective, Violet finds that the restaurant is full of possible suspects. There’s the talkative waiter Matt (Jeffery Self), the friendly bartender Cara (Gabrielle Ryan) or the handsome piano player Phil (Ed Weeks).
Director Christopher Landon has previously injected a fun and fresh take on the staid slasher genre with Happy Death Day, Happy Death Day2U, and Freaky. With Drop, Landon is able to work around the limitations of the film by maintaining tension while keeping to one location. He also manages to make text messages visually appealing by turning them into varying graphics across the screen. However, they aren’t as stylishly done as those in BBC’s Sherlock or Disney’s Ms. Marvel. When the third act rolls around, Landon stomps on the gas pedal and provides the audience with some cool action beats, including a very clever finish to our heroine’s confrontation with the gunman in a ski mask.
Drop benefits from a talented ensemble with actors that are not well known. The process of elimination usually tells you the most famous name will be revealed as the evil mastermind.
Video/Audio: 8
The video is presented in 1080p with an aspect ratio of 2.39:1. While the transfer is flawless, there’s a flat digital look to it. Most of the film takes place at the restaurant so it gives us a warm, amber colored hue to the proceedings.
The audio is presented in Dolby Atmos. The ambient sound sets up the atmosphere well with the clinking of utensils and glasses. Dialogue is crisp and clear.
Extras: 4
A Recipe for Thrills: Making Drop (6:43) takes us quickly through the making of the film from breaking down the story to the practical stunt work.
A Palate for Panic (4:32) focuses on creating the Palate set, its trendy look, and the actual gourmet food the actors were served.
Killer Chemistry (3:36) is a short featurette looking at the film’s leads, their characters, and their interactions with each other.
Rounding out the disc are a commentary track by director Christopher Landon. He runs through various topics such as Bear McCreary’s score, constructing a realistic restaurant set, and how they achieved numerous shots.
Film Value: 6
With a running time of just over an hour and a half, Drop knows when to get in, get out, and wrap everything up with a neat bow. It definitely wears its influences on its sleeve with nods to Hitchcock, Brian De Palma, and Wes Craven’s Red Eye. While Drop doesn’t compare to those superior productions, it’s still a solid thriller for the social media era.
