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Originally published on Elements of Madness.   Meghann Fahy as Violet in Drop, directed by Christopher Landon. Photo Credit: Bernard Walsh/Universal Pictures. © 2025 Universal Studios. All Rights Reserved. First-date jitters take on a whole new meaning in Drop, a Blumhouse thriller from Happy Death Day director Christopher Landon. Drop stars Emmy-nominated Meghann Fahy (The White Lotus) as Violet, a single mom looking to re-enter the dating scene, alongside Brandon Sklenar (It Ends with Us) as Henry, a picture-perfect photographer. After meeting on a dating app and texting for several months, Violet and Henry finally agree to meet up for dinner at a swanky restaurant on the top floor of a Chicago high rise, the perfect setting for a romantic rendezvous. However, the romance soon dissolves into horror when Violet starts receiving memes from an anonymous sender via digiDrop, a file-sharing technology similar to Apple AirDrop. While the first few photos seem harmless, the anonymous sender quickly takes on a threatening tone, effectively ruining Violet’s date — to say the least.  L-R: Violet (Meghann Fahy) and Henry (Brandon Sklenar) in DROP, directed by Christopher Landon. Photo Credit: Bernard Walsh/Universal Pictures. © 2025 Universal Studios. All Rights Reserved. If you’ve seen the trailer for Drop, you already know the content of those threatening messages. Someone wants Henry dead, and they want Violet to be the one to kill him. To ensure that she goes through with the job, the anonymous villain has sent an accomplice to Violet’s home with a gun at the ready. If she calls the police or refuses to cooperate, her son dies. The sender could be anyone nearby with a smartphone, making everyone in the restaurant a suspect. At first, Drop seems like it’s going to be one of those predictable movies that gives itself away in the trailer. While the trailer doesn’t reveal the identity of the digiDrop sender or how Violet ends up handling the predicament, it does provide a pretty clear picture of how the suspense will unfold. After all, the plot of Drop is fairly straightforward. Most of the action is confined to one setting, and there is only a small handful of characters, so there’s only so much that the trailer can conceal. Thankfully, however, Drop has a few surprises in store. With a playful tone and a good helping of humor, Drop emerges as a delightful and satisfying flick that’s worth the movie theater ticket price.  L-R: Henry (Brandon Sklenar) and Matt (Jeffrey Self) in DROP, directed by Christopher Landon. Photo Credit: Bernard Walsh/Universal Pictures. © 2025 Universal Studios. All Rights Reserved. Combining elements of classic whodunits with the horror, psychological thriller, and spy/intrigue genres, Drop is essentially a race-against-the-clock story driven by two questions: Who is sending Violet the messages, and how will she get out of this situation? Even though the trailer reveals a lot about the movie, Drop manages to keep you guessing until the end. Perhaps some perceptive viewers will be able to figure things out ahead of time, but the flick does a pretty good job of hiding its secrets with distractions and red herrings. Writers Jillian Jacobs (Fantasy Island) and Chris Roach (Fantasy Island) execute two smooth plot twists in the latter half of the film, wrapping things up with a satisfying ending that’s not too obvious. Granted, the screenplay isn’t without a few bumps in the road, missing the mark with a couple of plot clichés and cringeworthy lines. The middle section of the flick gets a bit lost in a tedious cycle of Violet’s failed attempts to outsmart the anonymous villain, and it spends a disproportionate amount of time trying to prove to the audience that calling the police or asking for help isn’t an option for her. It’s not a 100% smooth execution, but it is a fun ride.  Violet (Meghann Fahy) in DROP, directed by Christopher Landon. Photo Credit: Bernard Walsh/Universal Pictures. © 2025 Universal Studios. All Rights Reserved. Part of what makes it so fun (and surprising) is the humor. Drop serves up plenty of well-timed and well-delivered comedic beats, establishing itself as a more lighthearted thriller. It’s not a full-blown parody, but it does take advantage of the opportunity to make fun of thrillers and rom-coms with some self-aware jokes. A lot of the comedic relief comes from the surprisingly delightful performance by Jeffery Self (The High Note) as Matt, Violet and Henry’s overly enthusiastic waiter. Violett Beane (Renner) also shines in a comedic role as Jen, Violet’s sister and babysitter for the evening. Of course, Violet and Henry also have their fair share of comedic moments, but theirs is more of a subdued and ironic humor. Ultimately, what makes Drop work is that it knows exactly what kind of movie it’s supposed to be, and it doesn’t try to offer anything more or less. It’s not an edge-of-your-seat thriller, but it’s also not trying to be. It knows that it’s no Shutter Island (2010) or The Sixth Sense (1999), and it doesn’t pretend to have deep insights about the human condition or the dangers of technology (even though technology plays a pretty important role in the plot). To be fair, it’s not completely shallow. It does the courtesy of giving its characters interesting motives and backstories, adding a little depth to the story so that it’s not just Violet around running in circles trying to outsmart the digiDrop villain. Drop leaves you with the impression that everyone involved knew exactly what kind of film they were trying to make, and no one tried to make it anything more. Drop is fun, funny, satisfying, and entertaining — the kind of movie that you want to see with a big audience at the theater. It’s a popcorn flick, through and through, and if you go into it with the right expectations, you’re sure to have a good time.
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