Fall (2022)

Director: Scott Mann

Starring: Grace Caroline Currey, Virginia Gardner, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Mason Gooding

When a high-rise climb goes wrong, best friends Becky and Hunter find themselves stuck at the top of a 2,000-foot TV tower.

I wasn’t really sure whether I should watch ‘Fall’ or not, fearing it might be overhyped. I’m glad I decided to give it the benefit of the doubt, as ‘Fall’ now rate among my favourite suspense movies. The suspense is on an entirely different level, and people who suffer from Acrophobia should probably avoid ‘Fall.’

Having done research on the film, I have even more respect for the director, the actors, and the film in general. The tower you see in ‘Fall’ is very real, and not a CGI creation. In fact, there’s very little CGI in ‘Fall’ and most of what you see, is real. Sure enough, the actresses are not on the real tower, but they actually were shot at the real height of the tower, with a small replica of the tower’s top being constructed on a mountain about the level of the tower. Incredible!

Ok, so you probably know more or less what the film is about. Two girls climb a 2,000 foot TV tower, and then gets stuck at the top. Hunter (Virginia Gardner) has a social media channel with over 60,000 followers. (Oh, the ridiculous things some people do for the sake of ‘likes’ and ‘followers’…).

Becky (Grace Caroline Currey) climbs the tower for very different reasons. A year ago she lost her husband Dan during a mountain climbing expedition. At the one year anniversary of his death, Hunter convinces Becky to climb the tower with her to conquer her fear, and to scatter Dan’s ashes from the top.

The suspense is well crafted thanks to good photography and cinematography. From the moment the girls start climbing the tower, focus on the bad state of the ladder immediately elevates the suspense. When the ladder collapses (no, it’s not a spoiler; you already know this from the synopsis and the movie poster), the film revolves around the girls trying to come up with a plan to get down. With various obstacles and nature elements, this proves to be a very difficult task!

If you were to over-analyze the movie, sure enough there will be improbabilities. One might even reason that they take far too many chances. But then again, what would you do in their desperate situation? Unless you’ve been trapped on a 2,000 foot tower with no way down you can’t really judge, can you? Therefore, just enjoy it for what it is and enjoy the nail-biting ride! Also, the twist during the final act might confuse some viewers. But the film actually already prepared us for this thanks to very subtle hints, and a shift in character actions. Pay close attention!

‘Fall’ earned nearly $22 million on a budget of $3 million.

Would I watch it again? Yes!