Drop (2025), directed by Christopher Landon, is a high-concept thriller that leans hard on a smart, tension-filled premise and the simmering chemistry between its leads, Meghann Fahy and Brandon Sklenar. Unfortunately, despite a stylish setting and intriguing setup, the film ultimately squanders its potential by falling into repetitive narrative patterns and an overreliance on watching characters react to text messages—literally.
The film follows Violet (Fahy), a grieving widow re-entering the dating world after a traumatic personal loss. Years removed from the violent death of her husband—who, in a shocking act, threatened their child before killing himself—Violet agrees to a first date with a kind-hearted photojournalist named Henry (Sklenar). Their meeting takes place at a sleek, high-rise rooftop bar, a setting that immediately sets the stage for something intimate, potentially healing… and then everything begins to spiral.
Soon after they sit down, Violet begins receiving messages from a mysterious assailant who threatens her family—namely her son and his babysitter—unless she destroys Henry’s camera SD card containing damning political evidence and poisons his drink. What should’ve been a night of cautious connection turns into a forced psychological game played entirely via smartphone, with Violet coerced into increasingly dangerous decisions in a very public, very tense setting.
There’s no denying the strength of the central premise. Landon, best known for genre mashups like Happy Death Day and Freaky, has a knack for blending absurdity with emotion, and Drop flirts with being one of his tighter, more grounded efforts. It’s certainly better than We Have a Ghost, though some of the same structural pitfalls show up here too—most notably, a tendency to lock into one central gimmick at the expense of character development and story momentum.
What really works in Drop is the pairing of Fahy and Sklenar. They exude believable, slow-burn chemistry that makes their early back-and-forth feel authentic and nuanced. Even though their dialogue is minimal (once the plot kicks in, much of the interaction is physical or reactionary) the spark between them keeps the early scenes compelling. Fahy proves she’s more than capable of anchoring a film like this, bringing depth and pathos to a character that’s often forced to emote in silence, reacting to unseen threats. Sklenar, who gives off strong “lost Hemsworth brother” energy, is disarming and likable enough that you briefly question whether he’s truly innocent.
But for a movie set in such a dynamic environment with emotionally charged stakes, Drop often feels oddly static. Much of the runtime is spent watching Violet stare at her phone, absorbing and responding to a series of escalating threats. While this works early on to build tension, it quickly wears thin. The visual and narrative monotony starts to set in around the halfway mark, and the film never quite recovers. The structure—Violet gets a text, contemplates, reacts, repeat—makes the experience feel more like an exercise in suspense than a fully fleshed-out thriller.
Landon’s direction is calculated and polished, but Drop could’ve benefitted from loosening the grip on its central gimmick. The themes it brushes up against (digital surveillance, emotional manipulation, grief) are timely, but never explored beyond surface level. It ends up feeling more like a commentary on how addicted we are to our devices than a true emotional or psychological character study, which is a shame given how much richer the film could’ve been if it spent more time on the human connection at its core.
That said, Drop isn’t a total misfire. The supporting cast of bar patrons adds some needed color to the proceedings, and a few late-game twists keep things from going completely flat. But the movie’s focus is too narrow for its own good, and it misses the opportunity to pivot into more emotionally resonant or genre-subverting territory. By the time the climax arrives, the tension has plateaued, and the urgency feels more obligatory than earned.
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Drop is a thriller with a sharp hook and solid performances, especially from Meghann Fahy, but it never quite figures out what to do with its own setup. With stronger narrative dynamics and less time watching its lead react to a phone screen, it could have been something far more memorable. Instead, it’s a middling entry in the tech-thriller genre—watchable, but frustrating in execution.
Score: 5/10
Drop (2025)
- Cast: Meghann Fahy, Brandon Sklenar, Reed Diamond, Violett Beane
- Director: Christopher Landon
- Genre: Mystery, Thriller
- Runtime: 95 minutes
- Rated: PG-13
- Release Date: April 11, 2025
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