Have you ever gotten an airdrop from a stranger? Well, now that simple idea is a full-blown horror thriller—and it’s much better than one might expect.
Directed by Christopher Landon and co-written by Jillian Jacobs and Chris Roach, the film follows Meghann Fahy’s Violet, a woman finally getting back into the dating world. Sadly, her first date in years (a privilege that goes to Brandon Sklenar’s Henry) goes awry when she gets secret threatening messages from a stranger making dangerous demands.
Director Christopher Landon Brings Another Horror Hit to the Table
The first thing to mention is that this film feels notably different from Christopher Landon’s previous work, which is a great thing—it keeps his library fresh and exciting and avoids hitting all the same notes repeatedly. However, audiences can still expect those trademark laughs that many of his horror pieces bring to the table.
The film is under 90 minutes, so it’s a breezy ride. Once it starts, it doesn’t slow down, and no time is wasted.
Another interesting element of the film that works to its advantage is that, for the most part, the movie takes place entirely in one location. This adds to the suffocating situation the main character finds herself in: trapped with nowhere to go.
Meghann Fahy and Brandon Sklenar Offer Strong Performances
Meghann Fahy gives a wonderful performance as Violet, who spends most of the film secretly under duress, putting an additional mask over her performance. Violet's past as a victim of an abusive relationship gives her even more depth, so there are some strong thematic parallels between her current situation and her past.
Brandon Sklenar’s Henry is an incredibly wonderful human being and so much more patient than nearly any person on planet Earth might be. Given every reason to leave, multiple times over, he still manages to continue giving Violet the time of day—which is great since there wouldn’t be a movie without him doing that.
One element that I enjoyed the most about the film is its callbacks. I’ll avoid citing examples for obvious reasons, but Drop is great at building up to big moments and unexpected payoffs.
The only downsides to the movie reside in the film’s sometimes ridiculous exaggeration of the capabilities of AirDrop (or Digi-Drop in the film) and some of the movie’s more crazy moments in Act 3. But it’s easy to let all that slide when everything around it is as good as it is.
At the end of the day, audiences will be thoroughly entertained and engrossed by what Drop has to offer. You’ll be on the edge of your seat trying to decipher the mystery while intensely worried about the continued success of Violet’s first date and also giving hearty laughs throughout the blinding tension.
Final Score: 8.5/10
Drop hit theaters on April 11, 2025.
