Becky (Grace Caroline Currey), an experienced climber, has just gone through an incredible, unspeakable tragedy–and for an entire year she’s struggled to come to terms with her loss. She’s turned to drinking, cut her friends and family off, and she appears to be close to the end. When her friend Hunter (Virginia Gardner) shows up with the idea to climb the fourth tallest structure in the United States, it feels like Becky might be able to get her life back on track. Now, as the friends climb the two-thousand foot radio tower, they must hope and pray that they don’t Fall.
The storyline of Fall is a bit silly, but let’s be honest–thriller films these days have been trending toward blurring the line between harrowing and ridiculous. While this story is sometimes a tad laughable, Currey is strong enough a thespian to hold the film together, drive the narrative forward, and provide viewers a reason to stick around. Furthermore, while, again, the narrative seems outside the realm of reality, far removed from something that viewers may feel connected to, the intensity present in each and every second of Scott Mann’s film pulls viewers in and allows them to feel like they’re part of this incredible journey.
Again, Fall feels a little silly at times–like one giant nod to Murphy’s Law and ridiculous mistakes, but there’s a level of sophistication that exists throughout the film as well–something made to explore the difficulties of life. Writers Jonathan Frank and Mann develop a story that dives head first into the idea of isolation–in a number of ways. From Becky struggling with tragedy to her and Hunter being stuck atop the radio tower, Fall constantly touches on isolation, the issues it can cause, and the many ways in which a person can overcome those feelings of loneliness and struggle. Fall quickly becomes the psychological thriller that I think not many people expected it to be. It finds ways to attack the often distressing sentiments present in our daily lives, and Frank and Mann’s ability to do this from an early point in the film allows Fall to be much more far reaching and relevant than expected–and in many ways it’s incredibly touching.
Aesthetically I’m not sure that Fall had to be perfect. With the purpose of the film, the filming locations and sets aren’t necessarily as important as the dialogue, acting, etc.–but of course it can help add to suspense and intensity. Production Designer Scott Daniel and Location Manager Derek Tramont do far more than I think was needed for this film. They attack their jobs with great aplomb, never missing a beat, and bringing the story of these two friends to life in vivid fashion. Again, these aspects of Fall don’t need to be perfect in order for it to succeed–but the time and effort that these two individuals put into their craft does make the film significantly better. Seeing the massive structure, the seemingly endless nothingness of the desert, and the beauty of nature as it surrounds and engulfs Becky and Hunter helps to bring this story to life in fiery and engrossing ways.
Full disclosure, I believed Fall seemed like one of those thriller/horror pictures that would entertain for the wrong reasons. However, I was quickly transported to a world that was full of emotion, full of purpose–and it reached pieces of my psyche that I had never expected. I was immediately taken on a journey through the human mind, through my own mind, and forced to confront demons that lurked inside of me–and Frank, Mann, Currey, and everyone in between create a spectacle like I’m not sure anyone was prepared for. Currey facilitates something emotionally driven, and viewers learn a little something along the way. Fall is a superbly wonderful film full of intensity and meaning.
Directed by Scott Man.
Written by Jonathan Frank & Scott Mann.
Starring Grace Caroline Currey, Virginia Gardner, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Mason Gooding, etc.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/10
