Early 2025 continues the trend of taking the rom-com formula into unexpected places. Drop marks yet another new direction for the genre this year—this time, instead of merging it with slashers, sci-fi, or absurd action, it’s blended with the tension of single-location thrillers like The Call, Phone Booth, Grand Piano, and Locke, with shades of The Invisible Man (2020) woven in. At its core, though, it’s still a genuine rom-com with charismatic leads who have great chemistry, and it’s the slow-burning sweetness of their relationship that ends up being the film’s most compelling element.
Director Christopher Landon, still riding the goodwill from his inventive and fun Happy Death Day, continues his streak of elevating scripts of dubious quality—though in this case, it’s just mediocre, not nearly as rough as We Have a Ghost. Here, he brings a Hitchcockian flair to what is essentially a story about two people trapped in a restaurant over the course of a single night, with escalating stakes unfolding almost entirely through app notifications, close-ups, and shifting body language. It’s the kind of setup that could’ve easily felt uninventive or stale, but Landon keeps it visually dynamic—using clever shifts in perspective, subtle lighting cues, and tension-building inserts to maintain momentum and unease.
The film smartly keeps things lean at just 90 minutes, and that brevity—combined with Meghann Fahy’s excellent central performance and Landon’s sharp direction—is what holds your attention. Strip all that away, though, and what’s left is a very by-the-numbers thriller: no real surprises, and a plot that hits the expected beats. As the protagonist’s options narrow, she’s forced into actions that backfire, and while there’s an explosive climax that shifts the tone, it’s still nothing you haven’t seen before.
Yet, you stay hooked. At one point, a character reaches for a drink you know might be poisoned, and it’s enough to make you want to yell at the screen. (Some audiences did.) That ability to provoke a reaction—to turn formula into something a little more alive—is what defines Landon’s recent work. Even if his films don’t always reach greatness, there’s always a spark of energy keeping them afloat. Christopher Landon keeps Drop engaging with Hitchcockian flair and visual creativity, while Meghann Fahy’s compelling performance brings real emotional weight to an otherwise familiar and formulaic plot. Here’s still hoping he can find his way back to something as inspired as Happy Death Day, rather than just comfortably hovering slightly above average.
Still courtesy of Universal Pictures Canada
- 1Sentimental Value
- 2Hamnet
- 3One Battle After Another
- 4Ne Zha 2
- 5Blue Moon
- 90Drop#90 of 256
- Where to watch
Prime Video- Where to watch
- Prime Video
Play trailer
- Original title
- Drop
- Director
- Christopher Landon
- Cast
- Meghann Fahy, Brandon Sklenar, Reed Diamond, Violett Beane, Jeffery Self, Jacob Robinson, Gabrielle Ryan, Ed Weeks
- Rated
- 14A
- Screenwriter
- Jillian Jacobs, Christopher Roach
- Composer
- Bear McCreary
- Cinematography
- Marc Spicer
- Editor
- Ben Baudhuin
- Country
- Language
- English
- Budget
- $11 million
- Box office
- $28.749 million
- Distributor (CA)
- Universal Pictures Canada