Fall :: SimplyScripts Screenwriting Discussion Board

Oh no, I’ve seen movies like this. I’m not Falling for it again! I'm surprised by my own review. I'm sure some would be expecting a  review of dumpster fire. Nope...Nada...Nein, no! Films that make my palms sweaty and force me to hold in my bladder deserve some recognition.

It's funny, I consider myself to have a strange fear of heights. I can fly in an airplane or visit the top of the Empire State building without breaking a sweat. But remove the sense of security, and that triggers the anxiety. I can't climb a ladder or put me on one of those really high swing rides at a theme park where your feet dangle.  Worst panic attack of my life, no kidding - breathing fast, trying to calm myself - half-traumatized, half-euphoric - the feeling you get when you’ve just escaped a brush with death. Comforting, huh?

Heck, every time I watch Hitchcock’s “Vertigo,” with Stewart, and Novak, how well the cinematography was making me afraid of the heights.  I get a mild case of vertigo and I just want to lay down. So I def DO NOT like heights.

To cut to the chase,  "Fall" is a survival film.  'Bout Pals Becky and Hunter (Grace Caroline Currey and Virginia Gardner) after a tragic mountain climbing accident, which leaves Becky spiraling out of control. To the rescue is Hunter tries to take Becky to get over her fears by taking her to the tallest tower. So they can do a simple climb. And scatter Dan’s ashes, which I thought was cute. Naturally, the pair become stranded at the tippy-top of a “pizza-sized” platform roughly two Eiffel Tower-heights in the sky after a ladder comes loose and crashes down.

It's was "47 Meters Down", just in the air.  "Fall" isn’t what you’d call a great film. Does that mean it is a bad one? Nope: Tom Petty song free falling really should’ve been a theme song of this film. Yes, there was a lot of unbelievable problems that arose, and maybe the acting wasn't top-notch, but films like these can be pretty fun even if they’re run of the mill.

It's the type of movie that needs to be seen in a theater.   Like I said, I've always been afraid of heights. Not all heights, but the kinds that make your life depend upon your grip. If I ever had the urge to go climbing or anything like it, seeing this film completely removed any such urge. From beginning to end, this is a real white-knuckle the tray table at the theatre.  I didn't see anyone go to the john or go out to get popcorn.

I can't remember the last time I was that physically uncomfortable watching a film and had to look away several times...everyone in the theater seemed to be really into it.

So yeah, “Fall” to some extent is successful in making the audience feel tense. As the title suggests, I also thought it succeeded in making the audience feel the fear of falling from a high place. The reason is, the camera work really uses the element of height to arouse the horror of the audience. Well, the majority methinks. Yeah, I know its not 100% realistic, but the way the danger progressed and the way the movie is shot really pulls you in.

Jeffrey Dean Morgan as the worried father was in it for maybe five minutes, and Gooding isn’t around very long, which means Fall rests squarely on the shoulders of our two female leads who are more then attractive window dressing. The girls acted their butts off. Especially Becky. I thought their chemistry was slick and overall gave a solid performance throughout despite it's painfully thin story line, predictable plot they had to work with. I.e. the love triangle doesn’t even need a spoiler alert. The writers must have been at altitude when they put this one in their laptops, because the writing was just a little too canned. I didn't mind the drama between them, it set up some wicked dread on top of an even more dreadful situation.

The vultures developed an insatiable bloodlust for our remaining heroine. It became a little too silly to take seriously. I suspect the writing team needed more material to stretch out the tension and conflict-- so a string of incredible bad luck turns into mother nature throwing crazed birds at Becky. It just felt more comedic than providing a sense of deserved vengeance.

I won't pretend to be an expert, but with all that rope and clothing couldn't they just strap themselves to the tower and slide down like a lumberjack. Yea, I know it only stretches 50 feet while the tower is 2,000...I'm not saying they should Rapunzel their way down. They just need enough of a strap to hug the pole. No?

Another problematic issue is the lack of proper gear (or wearing things right) bugged me.

Oh, Mann’s emphasis on her breast are longer than you actually even notice them.... but I'm a girl.  I have sense. Lol.  And yet left so many other storytelling elements dangling in the wind.

Also, I for one would like to know how to get my hands on a smartphone that doesn’t run out of battery after 3-4 days of use like the one in the film.

Piling on the criticism, when they’re up there, the wind is sometimes inaudible and it just feels like they’re in a studio with lots of...yes... green screen. Shouldn’t they be constantly shouting?

I wanted to love Fall far more than I did, many tense moments, if we were re-writing the script we would have reworked the first act, trim the fat and cliché plot twists, then tighten the pacing, add more intensity.

What left me disappointed and even a bit angry was the ending, but more so the big twist was completely unnecessary, it is an overdone trope to be sure. It annoyed the hell out of me — like they’re saying, “Ha! Gotcha!” Good writing doesn’t rely on “tricks.” JMHO. I won’t spoil it for some others'.

If you are afraid of heights, you should probably not see this film or maybe you should to "face your fears," which is ironic. All in all, not too bad...strictly for the entertainment. Have some fun, turn off the thinking cap.

_ghostie gal