Fall (2022) Review

 "Let's climb your stupid tower."
-Becky



A year after her husband's death in a mountain climbing accident, Becky (Grace Caroline Currey) has completely fallen apart and hasn't been climbing since.  Her best friend, Hunter (Virginia Gardner), convinces Becky to face her fears and climb a massive, abandoned TV tower.  When the ladder breaks off, the girls find themselves stranded at the top of the tower and have to find a way to survive.


What Works:

I love survival movies, especially survival movies that take place in one location.  I like to watch the characters figure out how to survive with very little in terms of supplies.  I don't know what it is, but those types of movies and stories are right up my alley.  Fall certainly fits that bill and the location is extremely unique.  I loved all of the survival stuff.

I won't spoil it, but the final attempt to get help is extremely creative and gnarly.  I absolutely loved it and it was my favorite moment of the movie.  They saved the best for last.

Finally, both the cinematography and sound editing were used spectacularly.  They made you feel like you were at the top of the tower with the characters.  Heights don't bother me all that much, but even I felt uneasy whenever the characters looked down.  Plus the sound editing made the wind as much a character in the film as anything else.  I was constantly nervous that one of the characters was going to blow off the tower.  They made this place feel real for the audience, which I think was the primary goal of the movie.  The atmosphere had atmosphere.


What Sucks:

The biggest problem comes from the main characters, at least in the first act of the movie.  Neither Becky or Hunter are likable characters.  Becky has been overwhelmed with grief and pushes people away that are trying to help.  Hunter is an obnoxious travel vlogger.  Everything before getting to the tower was tough to get through.  Once they started climbing and found themselves in danger, it was much more bearable because  the characters focused on their survival rather than all of the other stupid crap from earlier in the movie.

I've seen a lot of survival movies in my life.  A lot of them have a lot of cliches thrown in and that's definitely the case with Fall.  If you've seen a share of survival films, your eyes will definitely roll a few times.

Finally, there are a few moments where the CGI just doesn't look great.


Verdict:

Fall is a fun, if flawed, survival movie.  They did a great job of making the situation feel real to the audience and it's a very thrilling movie.  There's a lot of fun to be had here.  I wish the characters had been more likable, the script had been less cliched, and some of the CGI had been better, but this is still a decent theater film.  Go for the experience more than the story.

 7/10: Good 


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