Plot: What’s it about?
I don’t have an intense fear of heights, but it’s there for me. I prefer to be grounded whenever possible. And you won’t catch me skydiving any time soon, but I get that the thrill must be nice to some. Having said that, Fall had a pretty big impact on me. It takes the fear of heights to serious new levels. I will dive more into the plot specifics in a bit, but it spends a large amount of its time with our two lead characters who are stuck on an antenna. The singular, secluded setting will bring memories of Open Water, Buried and 127 Hours, to name a few. It is most truly a film tailored for the theatrical experience and one that will likely leave viewers squirming in their seats. It sure did that to me, and I am not one who is easily affected by most modern horror films. Indeed, this one got to me.
In the film’s opening moments, we find three characters rock climbing. We have seen enough movies to know that something is about to go wrong. And it does. While mountain climbing, Dan (Mason Gooding) falls to his death. Becky (Grace Caroline Currey) is his wife, and she is there and witnesses this. Her best friend, Hunter (Virginia Gardner) is also there. After Dan’s death, Becky turns to alcohol to cope and her relationship with her father played by Jeffrey Dean Morgan is broken. A lot of time has passed, and Hunter shows up one day and convinces Becky to climb a 2000-foot-high TV tower. She is hesitant at first, but before long, the two friends are on their way. One objective is for Becky to spread Dan’s ashes when they’re on the tower. They make it to the top of the tower, but the ladder breaks. Down below is a satellite in which they think will help them pick up a signal as their cell phones are virtually useless that high up. What works here is that the two girls are resourceful and think through the various options as to how they’re going to survive and get off the tower. From a single flare gun to very little water they have with them (that had fallen on the satellite, no less), this couldn’t be a more dire situation.
I am not exaggerating when I say that fall left me squirming in my seat through much of it. It left me very uncomfortable through much of the film. I say that as a positive, however, as it achieved the goal of putting that fear into me as a viewer. As much as I was involved, I also wanted the film to hurry up and end. It simply made that much of an impact on me. For one, the film is too long. It doesn’t reach the 2-hour mark, but this one would fit better in the 80–90-minute range as more focus would result in it being more impactful. I didn’t have to check my watch, but some tightening would’ve helped. There are also two surprises here. One is an obvious revelation about one of our main characters that didn’t feel entirely necessary. The other one is a pretty big curveball thrown at us late in the picture. There are some allusions made, but it did throw me off a bit. I think looking back and possibly a second viewing (if I can stomach it) might lessen the impact, but I feel it could’ve just as easily been left out. Some critics have complained about the CGI, stating that it’s obvious. Not to these eyes. I am not the type to nitpick that harshly. I can spot a fake image a lot of times, but here, it was very well done in my eyes. Apparently, the film had some 30 uses of the F-word re-dubbed to achieve its PG-13 rating. I didn’t find anything too noticeable on my viewing, but there was at least one use of it that stayed intact. As it stands, Fall proved to be entertaining and thrilling. Check it out.
Video: How’s it look?
Fall is now presented in 4K and this image is quite impressive. I saw the film theatrically then digitally, so I can’t state how the previous disc looked, but this one is virtually flawless. Colors pop and the nighttime sequences show a lot of depth as well. Things look rich and deep, and I recall this looking as good as it did in theaters. Viewers and fans alike should be very impressed with the results here.
Audio: How’s it sound?
The Dolby Atmos track is also strong, though some of the earlier scenes seemed more muted than I’d prefer. Otherwise, once the girls get to the tower, the track stays engaging. There isn’t a whole lot to say here, it sounds as good as it needs to, and the channels all work to bring us into this scenario, though it’s a bad one.
Supplements: What are the extras?
In an interesting move, this Best Buy Exclusive Steelbook features a nifty slipcover that shows the girls on the tower during the day. Take the slipcover off and it reveals the same scene, but at night. It’s a nice touch for sure. The inside art features an image of the tower with one of the girls dangling from it. It is presented sideways to get the whole image on there. It’s one of the better Steels I have seen. Also worth noting is the 4K disc features the Unrated cut which I must assume was the R-Rated version before they trimmed it down. This is mostly in the form of several uses of a four-letter word at various times in the film. I am glad we finally got the film as it was intended. There is also an exclusive feature which I will dive into in the listing below.
- Creating the Impact of Fall – This is the new retrospective that is exclusive to this set. It speaks of the film and its cult following and what they wanted to achieve. There are a lot of good notes here, making this feature a nice highlight of the set.
- Audio Commentary – Producer and Director Scott Mann and Producer James Harris collaborate on this track that explores the film’s backstory, casting and how in the world (and why) these two did what they did. It’s a good, fact-filled track that’s sure to appeal to fans of the film.
- Music Video – “I Have Never Felt So Alive” by Madison Beer.
- Fall: The Making Of – As we might expect, this features some talking heads about the movie, we get some behind the scenes footage and so forth.
- Theatrical Trailer
The Bottom Line
Fall is a very effective film that stayed with me long after it was over. It isn’t perfect, but for those with a slight fear of heights, it can get under the skin. It is well worth seeing at least once. For those who like steelbooks and don’t already own the film, this is the one to get. Not only is the steelbook clever and attractive, but it features the Unrated cut as well as an exclusive feature. Very Highly Recommended.
