There are plenty of upcoming horror movies that will be splashing across the big screen in the coming months on the 2025 movie calendar, but one in particular from Blumhouse Productions is garnering quite a bit of attention as a must-see movie of the year. Drop starring Meghann Fahy and Brandon Sklenar premiered at the SXSW film festival this weekend ahead of its April release, and first reactions are overwhelmingly positive.
Meghann Fahy stars as Violet, a single mother who starts getting terrifying drops to her phone while she’s on a first date with Henry (Brandon Sklenar). So what are the film festival attendees saying? Mae Abdulbaki of ScreenRant gives Drop an 8 out of 10, saying this is an especially fun movie to see with an audience, and you’ll want to immediately watch it again. Of the South by Southwest experience, the critic writes:
Drop was perhaps one of the most crowd-pleasing films at the SXSW Film & TV Festival. It caused a plethora of fervent reactions — laughter, wild applause, and quite a few gasps and ‘ohs’. I was locked into the film from the start, with an opening scene that seemingly alludes to how Violet’s night will end before returning the day of the date with Henry. Director Christopher Landon, working from a script by Jillian Jacobs and Christopher Roach, has an instant hit on his hands with Drop.
Ryan Scott of SlashFilm also gives it an 8 out of 10, calling this “killer thriller” one of the most entertaining rides in a long time. Meghann Fahy carries the weight of this movie comfortably on her shoulders, while Brandon Sklenar proves he’s got that Hollywood “it” factor. Scott continues:
Together, Fahy and Sklenar have great chemistry, which makes a clever script sing. Ultimately, what Landon has crafted is an old-school good time at the movies. It's not an awards season darling. It's not some hyperbolic ‘this will change your life’ sort of movie. It's just a damn good time.
Meagan Navarro of Bloody Disgusting rates Drop 3.5 skulls out of 5, noting that every detail matters in this “crowd-pleasing stunner.” The movie has a simple setup, focusing its energy on the claustrophobia and paranoia that build in Violet throughout her ordeal. Navarro writes:
Drop is a swift, fun thriller that’s impeccably crafted right down to the production design, featuring a cast that seems to be having as much fun as Landon is flexing his creative muscles while paying tribute to the greats. Here’s to hoping that Landon continues down this path, because Drop has all the right ingredients that make it such an insanely enjoyable edge-of-your-seat thriller.
Siddhant Adlakha of Variety says while the film’s plot sounds ludicrous and repetitive, Christopher Landon keeps things moving at a brisk but smooth pace in this disorienting thriller. Adlakha says:
A silly, pulpy mystery entirely sure of its own conceit, Drop combines tech paranoia and the looming specter of abuse to create something surprisingly taut and entertaining. Directed by Christopher Landon, the film’s complicated setups are executed with a deft and capable hand. Although set in a fine dining establishment, it’s a junk-food thriller fried to near-perfection, balancing the tensions of kidnapping, conspiracy and murder with those of a nerve-wracking first date. It’s crisp and delicious.
Chris Bumbray of JoBlo gives it a “Great” 8 out of 10 and says it’s one of Blumhouse’s best movies in a long time. Bumbray had a blast (as did the rest of the SXSW audience, he says), and he’d love to see more of this brand of tightly paced, 90-minute thriller. Bombay continues:
Christopher Landon’s Drop is a slam-bang thriller that absolutely brought the house down here at SXSW. A contained thriller in the vein of Wes Craven’s underrated Red Eye, Landon’s film hits all the right notes, giving him a solid, Hitchcock-flavored romp in the vein of his own Disturbia, that should be a big hit from Blumhouse when it comes out next month.
Fans of the horror/thriller genre should be excited by the reactions coming out of South by Southwest, since it sounds like Meghann Fahy nails it as Drop’s leading lady. Brandon Sklenar continues to prove himself as well, according to the critics. I’m certainly looking forward to checking this one out in theaters when it releases on Friday, April 11.
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