Drop – Review

Drop is a tightly shot and fast paced technological mystery thriller. It has a very simple set-up and mostly takes place in one location, making quite a claustrophobic atmosphere. Add in a few dashes of mystery and rachet up the tension, and you have quite a concoction of pressure.

Widow and single mom Violet (Fahy) is heading out on her first date in a while. She expects the worst, despite some okay messages with a good prospective guy over a dating app. Her sister Jen (Beane) has agreed to watch her kid Toby, and helps her pick out the appropriate dress, just in case things do go well.

Violet’s day job is as a therapist for emotional and physical abuse victims, so she’s ready for a more relaxed night, and hopes her nerves don’t make it impossible. She takes a cab, and heads downtown to Palate, a fine dining restaurant, ready to meet Henry (Sklenar).

The place is very snazzy and nice, up on a high floor with a stellar view, and quite a spot for a first date. Henry is going to be a few minutes late, so she grabs a quick drink at the bar to wait. Then… her phone starts getting pinged with “airdrop” messages from someone nearby, named “Let’s Play.” Enter the thriller and mystery elements. What the hell is going on, and who the hell can be trusted?!?!

The story bounces back and forth between first date horror and a crazy thriller plot, as meeting new people can be a challenge in itself. The main characters are not paper thin, which is nice, but it does mean that the script has to find times to expand on them while keeping the tension high. Mostly this film succeeds with that. It’s hard to know just what the right move would be in a situation like the one presented in Drop, so it’s a fun watch for that part alone.