Drop (2025) Review: Pulse-Racing Thrill Ride

People may need to suspend disbelief to enjoy Drop, yet overall, Christopher Landon’s latest feature is a thrilling ride.

This positive feedback, alongside the fact that I’m a fan of Christopher Landon’s previous work, piqued my interest in the project, especially since thrillers are my favorite genre.

After the loss of her husband years prior, Violet (Meghann Fahy, of The White Lotus) finally decides to get back out into the world and plans a date with a man she met on an app. It’s obvious that she hasn’t been on the dating scene for quite some time. Her wardrobe is full of work clothes, proving how focused she’s been on her career since her spouse passed away. Thankfully, her fun-loving sister Jen (Violett Beane), who has come over to babysit Violet’s son Toby (Jacob Robinson) for the evening, helps her pick out a stunning outfit to wear. So, what could go wrong? Well, quite a lot, actually.

As Violet arrives at the beautiful, swanky restaurant Palate, her nerves intensify. Besides, it’s hard to put oneself out there, especially after hints at Violet’s dark past are revealed. Once our leading lady’s date, Henry (Brandon Sklenar, of It Ends With Us), arrives, her anxiety slowly dissipates. Her plus one is a charming, laid-back man who immediately puts her at ease. That is until Violet starts receiving drops on her phone from an unknown sender in the restaurant. While they start off as seemingly innocent memes, the situation takes a dark turn when the person on the other end of the phone asks Violet to do some unquestionable things. The catch? If she doesn’t follow their orders, they will kill her sister and son.

What stands out immediately in Drop is how impressive the set design is. The fictional restaurant was built by the crew of the film and has the atmosphere of a real-life upmarket restaurant. It’s the sort of fine dining experience offered in a popular tourist city that gives customers a one-in-a-lifetime culinary occasion several stories in the air. The design of the restaurant is stunning, equipped with ambient lighting and large bay windows that give a gorgeous view of the city. This unthreatening environment plays into the situational irony of the sinister narrative unfolding, and the contrast is executed effectively.

Drop also does a fantastic job of concealing the identity of the perpetrator, keeping viewers on their toes until the person is identified in the third act. Before this reveal, the audience is introduced to many people in the restaurant, yet viewers never know who is responsible for sending the messages. It’s one of those films where you’ll constantly second-guess yourself and change your mind about who is behind the drops multiple times throughout the runtime as more of the story unfolds.

The film is enhanced by the cast, with both Fahy and Sklenar delivering stellar performances. As viewers are in the know about what Violet is experiencing as it unfolds, this heightens the tension as well as the audience’s investment in the character. As a single mom who is in a vulnerable state and struggles to trust men after her complicated past with the father of her child, viewers warm to the character and want to see her succeed. Whenever Violet brainstorms ways to escape the troubling scenario, the audience anxiously awaits the outcome and what the consequences may be. The film’s editing choices create dynamic visual effects utilizing visual layering and fade-outs, which only up the ante and allow viewers to feel as though they are living Violet’s experience firsthand.

Henry could easily have been forgettable in this story, but thankfully, Sklenar brings enough charm and kindness to the character to make him likable and memorable. As he’s also in the restaurant and close enough in proximity to be a suspect, you also question whether he is in fact the friendly, innocent guy he appears to be. This uncertainty makes Drop all the more exciting and ambiguous.

Unfortunately, once Drop reaches the third act, it goes off the deep end, transitioning from a gripping one-location thriller to a nonsensical final confrontation. Though the filmmakers lean into the absurdness of it all, some viewers won’t be able to overlook how unrealistic the situation becomes. There are also a few other nagging narrative decisions that are unbelievable. Take, for example, how much Henry is willing to endure during this first date. He has the patience of a saint and sits through Violet constantly checking her phone, running off to the bathroom or bar, and randomly sitting with other people in the restaurant as she tries to figure out who is behind the drop messages. Somehow, Violet has found the most tolerant man in existence upon first swipe, which is wildly convenient.

Drop asks viewers to set aside logic to the extreme, which, for me, holds the film back from being great. If you’re someone that can get past that and embrace the wild ride, then you might consider Drop to be one of the best thrillers of the year. However, if, like me, letting go of reason can hold back a narrative, then Landon’s latest film may slightly frustrate you. No matter what side of the coin you fall on, what can be said is this is undoubtedly one of Blumhouse’s best releases of the last few years and a damn fun time.

Christopher Landon’s Drop will be released in US theatres, in UK & Irish cinemas, and globally in theaters on April 11, 2025.