First dates are hectic under the best of circumstances. But a first date after the death of your abusive spouse? A first during which you start to receive anonymous texts warning you if you don’t do exactly as told, a masked man back at your house will kill your sister and son? Well, that’s about as rough as a first date can get, isn’t it? That’s the situation facing Violet (Meghann Fahy) in Drop.

After what seems to be months of texting over the apps with hunky, sensitive photographer Henry (Brandon Sklenar, playing hunky and sensitive just enough to make you question if he’s the real deal or something darker), she’s finally gotten up the nerve to go on a proper date with him. Her sister Jen (Violett Beane) steps up to babysit Toby (Jacob Robinson) and offer some last-minute fashion direction. When she beats Henry to the venue, Violet meets a handful of characters including fellow first dater Richard (Reed Diamond), sympathetic bartender Cara (Gabrielle Ryan), and lascivious piano player Phil (Ed Weeks). Matt (Jeffery Self) rounds out the cast of characters to care about when he steps up as the perhaps-couple’s improv hopeful waiter. Then, the drop notes start.

There are certain directors you respect and ones you wish to never watch a film from again. For this writer, there is also a small selection of directors for which I cheer. Among that class is Drop director Christopher Landon. I think the Happy Death Day and Happy Death 2 U films are a delight. I’m one of the few who gave his Netflix We Have a Ghost a good review. The first movie I braved theatres for post-COVID (sort of) was a very restricted screening of Freaky. He has an energetic but well-structured directorial style. Actors in his films tend to do great work even when the plotting might go a bit thin beneath. He’s not a once-in-a-lifetime talent, but his films are consistently realized and entertaining.

Drop is no exception. Landon utilizes a handful of in-camera tricks to convey panic, isolation, and hopelessness. It is especially effective when the scene dims, except for one light source near Fahy. It’s a clever trick that centers her in the action, conveys how alone she is against the seemingly omniscient figure on the other side of the phone, and that she is still finding ways to still herself and search for a way out. There’s an economy to it that isn’t flashy but gives the audience exactly what they need to understand the character.

Fahy meets Landon’s techniques and brings the performance the rest of the way. She’s been on a bit of a simmer as of late, making an impact among heavy hitters on shows like The White Lotus and The Perfect Couple or giving dimension to small parts as she did in Your Monster. In her hands, Violet feels credibly spun out but never dumb or a damsel in distress. Her eventual confrontation with one of the villains has a nice crackle that also elevates the other performer. Her brief scenes with Beane have strong sibling chemistry, too.

The supporting characters mentioned before all have good turns with fairly limited parts. Self, in particular, takes a role that feels like it could’ve been insufferable in someone else’s hands and gives it just enough off-kilter choices to keep the waiter from overstaying his welcome. If anything, Sklenar has it the worst because he’s really only given one speed to operate at. As bizarre as the drops make Violet act, his Henry must remain understanding and supportive. He sells being the best first date of all time, but there isn’t much nuance or fun for him to have with it.

To be clear, Drop exists in the shadow of other films with similar energy that did it better. Phone Book (a not-beloved movie by critics that this one nonetheless digs) and Red Eye immediately came to mind. Still, there are about four other prominent influences that many will likely catch at least a few of as the film progresses.

The plotting is also a bit lumpy. The last 15 or so minutes are in a dead sprint, and they’re the film’s best, save for the confrontation scene I noted above. Until then, though, there’s a bit of a stutter step to how things unfurl. None of it is deadly, but one wishes for a smoother ratcheting up of tension. Drop doesn’t need to go as hard as it does in its final stretch throughout. That movie would feel like an heir to Crank. Still, a more deliberate shifting through the gears from first to fifth rather than staying primarily in second would’ve made for a more cohesive feature.

That said, Drop is still an entertaining time at the movies. It’s the kind of sorely B/B+ thriller that plays so well on a big screen in a movie theatre.

Drop would like to heat the specials in theatres now.

The Drop Trailer: