REVIEW — “Drop”

A high-tech, high-tension, hire wire act balanced by two, likeable leads, Drop follows Emmy nominee Meghann Fahy (breakout star of White Lotus season two and The Perfect Couple) and It Ends with Us’ Brendan Sklenar on a first date nightmare from horror producer Jason Blum.

On her first date in years after surviving an abusive relationship, widowed mother Violet (Fahy) is already nervous but hopeful when she meets handsome photographer Henry (Sklenar) for their first in-person dinner date atop an upscale Chicago high-rise. However, her nerves kick into high gear when a mysterious airdropper who is watching her every move, starts sending her increasingly nefarious and deadly demands.

She must obey these orders and tell no one or else her young son (newcomer Jacob Robinson) and babysitting sister (Violett Beane) will be murdered by an armed intruder. Her unseen tormentor’s final directive is for her to kill her date Henry. Will she do the unthinkable and play by the rules to save her family or will she turn the tables and get the drop on her tormenter, all while navigating the awkwardness of a first date? It’s a clever premise that works on many levels because of the natural chemistry of the film’s charming leads as well as their shared dialogue that is given extra emotional weight because their lives are at stake.

The endearing and relatable Fahy superbly carries the film and delivers the necessary amount of frightened energy that each scene requires. As a tormented mother forced to walk a tight rope throughout her date, she balances her character’s inner terror while maintaining her outward composure so as not to alert suspicion. An impressive display of measured grace and flirty charm with worried panic behind her eyes.

As the charming, rugged and infinitely patient Henry, Sklenar is the type of dreamboat any girl would want to sit across from during a candlelit dinner. Fresh off the series finale of his Yellowstone spinoff 1923, the actor on the rise is currently having a moment. Rumored to be on a shortlist to become the next Batman in James Gunn’s new DC universe, Sklenar is one to watch.

They are the perfect match that audiences will root for, but their dream date starts to take a turn as Violet grows more and more frantic with each anonymous drop to her phone. What unravels is an exciting whodunnit where everyone in the restaurant is a suspect. Among them is scene-stealer Jeffery Self as Matt, the first-time waiter and aspiring improv performer. Making a four-course meal out of an appetizer of a role, Self nails every line he is given as the overeager server who likes to overshare and has terrible timing, always showing up at the worst possible moments of their date. Drop also stars Reed Diamond, Gabrielle Ryan, Ed Weeks and Travis Nelson as the restaurant’s remaining staff, diners, victims… or suspects?

Written by Jillian Jacobs & Chris Roach (Blumhouse’s Truth or Dare and Fantasy Island), the entertaining thriller follows a similar formula of other Blumhouse hits that often feature relatable characters thrown into tense and dangerous situations. However, Drop takes the unknown-stalker-terrorizing-an-innocent-victim plot device popularized in other phone-based thrillers like Cellular, Phone Booth, and The Call, and updates it with the heroine being victimized by recent AirDrop technology.

Furthermore, director Christopher Landon (writer-director of last year’s We Have a Ghost and Blumhouse hits Freaky, Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones) infuses this film with the same playful, keep-you-guessing charm and intensity that he perfected in his highly entertaining Happy Death Day films. Likewise, this film offers a satisfying twist and ending that makes Drop a safe bet for an enjoyably thrilling date night movie that will give audiences short term tingles and not long term trauma. 3.5/5

For strong violent content, suicide, some strong language, and sexual references, Drop is rated PG-13. With a running time of 1 hour and 40 minutes, Drop opens in theaters on April 11, 2025.