Daisy
First dates can be the worst. And Drop takes this statement to the extreme.
This pulpy popcorn thriller uses modern technology to create a suspenseful hostage situation. Violet (Meghann Fahy) is a widowed single mother who is hesitantly returning to the dating scene. She is reluctant to leave her son in the care of her snarky sister.
But after some urging, she sets out on her first date with a photographer she met online, Henry (Brandon Sklenar). Shortly after arriving at an uber fancy, skyscraper restaurant, Violet starts to receive ‘digi-drops’ (this film’s airdrop equivalent).
What starts as a potential dumb prank, quickly unravels into a nightmare, when it’s revealed a masked man is inside Violet’s home, ready to kill her sister and son. Violet must follow the instructions sent to her, and she can not tell anyone, especially not her date Henry.
In all honesty, I thought this film was going to be terrible. Some tech horror that demonises online dating or feels totally out of touch with the digital world. But man, did this movie surprise me. Jillian Jacobs & Chris Roach’s script is spectacular, giving our stars Fahy and Skelnar something to really bite into. Their conversations are riddled with genuine moments and up-to-date references.
It makes you root for them, and their blooming relationship – which makes everything that’s about to happen so much more intense.
Violet does her best, given the situation, and Henry? Well Henry is the most patient man ever. Honestly anyone else would’ve left the date halfway through this movie. But the instructions Violet must follow get more and more dire as the night progresses. And she must sift her way through red herrings to uncover who the person behind the digi-drops could be. It’s all a bit Hitchcockian.
What I didn’t expect from this film was to genuinely, whole-heartedly laugh. The use of current memes (Brittany Broski you will always be famous), and the hilarious waiter were delightfully comical. It was perfectly balanced with the horror, making it utterly enjoyable even in its most tense moments.
I feel a lot of recent films, especially of the thriller genre, have struggled with their own identity. But Drop is surprisingly sincere in its purpose and execution – even if it is a bit silly. The concept of this film as a whole is absolutely nuts. But it’s crazy what a good script, crisp editing and great actors can do.
Year: 2025
Rating: R
Running Time: 95 MIN
Genre: Thriller
Director: Christopher Landon
Starring: Meghann Fahy, Brandon Sklenar, Violett Beane, Jeffery Self
Production Studio: Blumhouse Productions
Distributor: Universal Pictures