Director: Christopher Landon
Writers: Jillian Jacobs, Chris Roach
Cast: Meghann Fahy, Brandon Sklenar, Violett Beane, Reed Diamond, Jacob Robinson, Gabrielle Ryan, Jeffrey Self

Thrillers that utilise modern technology in a way that’s supposed to terrify audiences and often highlight potential dangers are nothing new, and this has been true for decades. As a result, cinema is saturated with these kinds of films, and it’s tough for filmmakers to find original ideas and new angles that are compelling and, preferably, frightening. Drop is another technology-based thriller that puts the ever-present mobile phone (‘cell phone’ to some) at the centre of its plot. Does it manage to create its own unique story with a tried-and-tested framework, or is it one Apple short of a bushel?

Widowed single mother Violet (Fahy) gets herself back into the dating scene by going on a date with Henry (Sklenar), whom she met on a dating app, while her sister Jen (Beane) babysits her son Toby (Robinson). Before Violet has time to finish her first glass of wine, she begins receiving strange anonymous memes to her phone via an app that allows users to air drop to other users nearby. The memes soon become more personal to Violet, her reactions disturbing her evening and worrying Henry, and it’s not long before she’s caught up in a deadly scheme that could cost her sister and her son their lives.

On first glance, Drop is nothing new to its genre (and it’s also rather late to the game, with its use of an AirDrop-style app to propel its narrative), and the bones of its story aren’t entirely new. However, where it succeeds in being one of the better films in its category is in its pacing, plot and performances.

The film throws the audience into some action immediately before pulling things back to a more regulated speed. It then flows gently until about mid-way through the first act, when the first DigiDrop arrives to Violet’s phone. From there, and through the second act, the tension builds at an arguably perfect rate, the stress and pressure on Violet being fully palpable (I was very aware of my heart rate and breathing increasing), the darkened, high-rise setting of the restaurant adding a layer of vertigo and claustrophobia to proceedings. The film clocks in at about an hour and a half, so nothing is dragged out and there’s no time for boredom.

The plot is one of the more interesting aspects of this phone-based film, and much of that is down to the characters. Each one that Violet meets is there for a reason, even if only to throw in a Guess-Who-style game as to Violet’s tormentor (maybe even an assumption that everyone is in on it) and has their own unique personality that throws up at least one red flag each. Violet herself is not your average annoyingly dumb female lead but instead makes tough decisions that follow her character’s personality and do, for the most part, make sense. The ultimate reasoning behind the drops to Violet’s phone is something audiences are given hints to through the course of the evening, and the revelations in the third act are a decent pay-off.

The performances are pretty solid for what should be, on paper, a low-to-average thriller. Fahy is fantastic as Violet, making her a spunkier lead than we might have gotten from a lesser actress, but some of that is also down to the writing of the character. Sklenar shrugs off the controversy of his last big movie outing (It Ends with Us) and dives into something a little meatier. His is more of a subtle performance, as the character’s story demands, but it adds a lot to the mystery of the film. Beane as Jen, Violet’s sister, has a more stereotypical role (and the humour that she adds is a little misplaced at times), but Robinson’s minimal performance as cute son Toby brings the heart to the film. I can’t say too much about other performances as it could verge into spoiler territory, but I will say that each supporting actor provides a great performance that adds more of that mystery that makes this film a pretty decent whodunnit.

Annoyingly, Drop does feel like it could have been a complete non-starter had Violet just switched off the Bluetooth on her phone (a pretty easy assumption), but if we can put that rather glaring issue to one side, the film is a solid thrill that does its job. We don’t really need anymore sci-fi or techy films to tell us about the dark side of tech, but it’s strangely fun to see how far people can push it (fictionally), isn’t it? There are also one or two scenes that come off as a bit too rom-com for what this film is, but depending on your genre preference, you might enjoy the intrusion. Either way, Drop manages to do what many films of its ilk struggle to do in putting a somewhat fresher spin on a tried-and-tested formula.