Drop Movie Review

“Drop” wants to be a movie that sits in the rarified air of a classic Hitchcock thriller. When a single mom with a tragic back-story goes on a first date, all sorts of nefarious things start to occur. Her phone is full of ‘drops’ that are giving her an unbearable dilemma. Is there a master planner using her to pull off a deadly scheme? Can she turn it around and identify the culprit – and get the “Drop” on them?

Violet (played by Meghann Fahy) is introduced as a mother with an abusive husband. His physical assaults are about to lead to murder. Her most precious thing in life is her young son Toby (played by Jacob Robinson). There is a tragic outcome when her husband threatens her son. Violet and Toby make it out alive, the only ones…

Violet uses her background knowledge to counsel abused woman and help them regain self-confidence. But she does not know if she has the fortitude to go on a first date. Her sister Jen (played by Violett Beane) really pushes for Violet to go. She will stay and take care of Toby. Plus, maybe tonight is the night Violet will ‘get lucky’!

The Chicago restaurant that Violet is supposed to meet her date is one on top of a downtown skyscraper. The ultra-fancy place is called Palate, and here is will meet a fellow named Henry (played by Brandon Sklenar). Henry made contact through a social media site, and he really wants to bring Violet out for dinner. This should be a very nice time, if she can stop being so nervous.

Violet gets there first, and she goes to the bar. She is served by a very helpful lady named Cara (played by Gabrielle Ryan). Cara helps to calm Violet down. There is an older guy named Richard (played by Reed Diamond) who is going to meet a nice woman. He is there to go on a first date. The amiable lounge piano player named Phil (played by Ed Weeks) also chats with Violet. In case your date doesn’t work out, look me up…

Henry gets there in a little bit. He was called in late at work at the Mayor’s office. He is a press photographer, and gets up close to the internal City dealings. Violet tells Henry that is her first date is quite a while. But already knows that she has a young son and tragic background story. Nothing like that is problem for him.

At this point, Violet has a different problem. She is getting many ‘drops’ to her phone. Someone within the restaurant is sending messages just to her. These private notes are ramping up with drastic demands. The person sending these requests knows that Violet will comply. That is because there is another criminal who is inside her house. Her son Toby and her sister Jen are now being threatened.

But what does this mystery ‘dropper’ want from Violet? It all has to do with her first date – Henry. She is supposed to somehow get a memory card from his digital camera. Violet is not able to concentrate on Henry and the server from the swanky restaurant. The server named Matt (played by Jeffery Self) has a very outgoing personality, and for Violet this is very disconcerting.

Everything is becoming undone for Violet. Her son and sister are in real danger. Her nefarious ‘dropper’ is still gaining the upper hand. Someone is demanding that Violet do something that will have an awful result for Henry. Violet keeps looking around to all of the people in the place. One of these people could be the mastermind of her torture. But there is no way for her to know exactly who the culprit is.

Danger and tension ramps up as Violet attempts to work her way out of her situation. She does not want to harm Henry. She wants to free her son and her sister. And she wants to bring this thing to an end and find out why some unknown person is leading her into a terrible night of terror. Then in the end, perhaps she will be able to get some revenge on that secretive power that has made this night unbearable…

“Drop” is a movie that is meticulously made, in design and direction. It looks great as a view of the skyline sweeps though the background. The visual flair brings a sharp focus on the story at hand, no matter how nutty it seems to get. Christopher Landon (Director) has given the movie a high level of tension and he has a mastery of functional flair.

Meghann Fahy (playing Violet) and Brandon Sklenar (playing Henry) produce a meaningful chemistry playing against each other. Fahy handles the emotions of internal panic and stress really well. Sklenar (playing Henry) does a really good job in being a concerned, but very confused ‘first date’ who is in over his head. Henry figures out that Violet is keeping something from him, but he does not know the ramifications.

The idea that someone could influence and persuade you to do something unthinkable is terrifying. That is especially true if what they using are ‘drop’ messages that slowly build up the horror that might come of it all. When Violet’s son and sister are held as hostages, she sees no other way but to follow orders. Unless she can figure out some part of the mystery.

For a good majority of the movie, the only place that is shown is the restaurant. It makes for a higher level of panic because it is so enclosed and contained. The story gets to a certain point, and it comes to a less-than-stellar conclusion. But the joy is the journey that gets you to that point.

“Drop” is a finely-tuned and very well-acted story of the terror of technology. They keep the tension at a high level, and never let it, well “Drop”…