Falling Short of Heights: A Review of 'Fall' (2022)

Scott Mann's "Fall" explores the confined horror genre, a territory previously tread by films like "The Shallows" and "Open Water," but with a unique twist that elevates the tension thousands of feet into the air. Co-written by Mann and Jonathan Frank, the film introduces a clever concept that, unfortunately, doesn't soar as high as it could due to some shortcomings in execution, including subpar acting, editing, and technical choices. While not crashing to Earth, "Fall" drifts into the forgettable airspace of film history.

Becky (Grace Caroline Currey), her husband Dan (Mason Gooding), and Becky’s friend Hunter (Virginia Gardner) face tragedy while climbing a sheer mountain in the opening scene when Dan falls to his demise. A year later, grieving Becky, avoiding Hunter and her concerned father James (Jeffrey Dean Morgan), is presented with a proposal by Insta-star Hunter: to climb an abandoned 2,000-foot TV tower in the middle of nowhere to find closure and scatter Dan’s ashes. Predictably, things go awry, leaving Becky and Hunter stranded on top of the tower with no means of descent or communication.

Filmed in the Mojave Desert, the majority of "Fall" unfolds on the tower, drawing initial adrenaline from the climb and a disastrous ladder collapse. The film could have benefited from starting directly with the ascent, allowing the characters' trauma to unfold through their conversations, bypassing a setup act filled with clichés and subpar filmmaking. As Becky and Hunter commence their climb, Mann successfully builds tension, but the film eventually stalls. Hunter's melodramatic secret, the involvement of vultures and drones, and an increasingly silly final act detract from the movie's potential.

The most effective "trapped" films rely on realism to immerse viewers in the dire situation, akin to "Open Water," but "Fall" falters in achieving this. Despite committed physical performances from Currey and Gardner, the juvenile dialogue fails to capture the true terror the characters should be experiencing. The film's success hinges on the believability of Becky and Hunter's predicament, but the thin dialogue, flashy cinematography, and overzealous edits undermine the nightmare potential.

"Fall" is designed for the big screen, evident in Lionsgate's decision to release it widely instead of opting for video on demand. The film's attempt to revive theater attendance with an event-driven cinematic experience falls short, ultimately leaving viewers disappointed.