Synopsis: For best friends Becky (Grace Caroline Currey) and Hunter (Virginia Gardner), life is all about conquering fears and pushing limits. But after they climb 2,000 feet to the top of a remote, abandoned radio tower, they find themselves stranded with no way down. Now Becky and Hunter’s expert climbing skills will be put to the ultimate test as they desperately fight to survive the elements, a lack of supplies, and vertigo-inducing heights in this adrenaline-fuelled thriller co-starring Jeffrey Dean Morgan.
Director: Scott Mann
Stars: Grace Caroline Currey, Virginia Gardner, Jeffrey Dean Morgan
Many people suffer from Acrophobia, which is a mental health condition in which the individual experiences an intense fear of heights. For many years I thought I was one of those people, but I self-diagnosed myself to basophobia, which is the fear of falling. For myself I am fine in high, confined places, but the anxiety steps in when the thought or, opportunity to fall is present.
That being said, I don’t think I could hang out with our main characters from this movie, but I enjoyed being along for the ride…from the confines of the ground level.
Fall is the most recent film from Scott Mann, and it stars Grace Caroline Currey and Virginia Gardner. They play Becky and Hunter. Becky and Hunter are best friends and they used to love climbing mountains. Being on the side of the mountain was as comfortable for them as being at an Apple store on launch day for me. They didn’t give it a second thought. However, after a tragedy during a climb Becky decided to step away from it.
Becky is grieving and has been for some time. Her father, played by favourite part of The Walking Dead, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, is trying to be there for his daughter but she keeps shutting him out.
Hunter, who is very focussed on social media fame and is all about the ‘likes’, shows up with an idea. The two will climb an abandoned radio tower. Oh, and this radio tower just happens to be 2000 feet tall. Gulp!
They make the climb, but wouldn’t you know, the ladder breaks off and now our best friends are stuck up the tower, with seemingly no way down.
The cinematographer of this film, MacGregor, has shot a beautiful film. Not since Robert Zemeckis’ The Walk, have I felt such an intense sensation watching a film that is so high up. It’s quite the experience for the audience as it feels immersive. There are points in the film where you feel as if you are on that tower. Fortunately, my basophobia didn’t kick in.
When I think of movies like this, I can’t help but compare it to films like Phone Booth. Currey and Gardner carry the majority of this film similar to how Colin Farrell had to carry that film.
The performances from our two leads are strong. What would you do in that situation? I suppose most people will respond with, I wouldn’t be in that situation Keith, but for two people who are used to climbing mountains, going up a tower isn’t out of the realm of possibility.
Jeffrey Dean Morgan is part of the cast but a small part. I appreciated that he didn’t overshadow the two main actors but lent just enough to the film to be appreciated.
My main pain point with this movie, and they tell us in the trailer, is that it is from the producers of 47 Meters Down. 47 Meters Down was a good movie that followed two young women shark diving who were left stranded at the bottom of the ocean. This movie is of course two women stranded but in the opposite direction. The pain point is that it is essentially the same movie. Had I not seen 47 Meters Down or had it not been advertised that would have been one thing but it was and by the time this movie is over you realize you’ve seen a carbon copy of 47 Meters Down.
That being said, many movies that come out do not, in my opinion, need to be seen in the theatre. I would add this to the small list that does. The shots of the tower need to be experienced on a theatrical screen. This is a beautifully shot film.
Movies and quite frankly life, is quick to pit people against each other in the name of survival, but what happens when you need to rely on each other to survive and while many people won’t find themselves in a situation like this, it was fascinating watching them attempt to navigate through it.
The film is believable and terrifying and offers something different than what’s playing in the next theatre. These women are survivors and have great instincts which comes from their history of climbing. There are those who would be in that situation and simply have the ‘well I’m screwed’ mentality but they have the ‘ok, let’s think this through’ headspace. But there is only so much you can do at 2000 feet.
Overall Fall is an enjoyable ride but appreciated more by those who never saw 47 Meters Down. Unfortunately, I did.
Grade: C+
0 Comments