There are two types of survival films: One where our characters are in a situation where despite their best efforts, are screwed. The second type is where common sense evades moronic protagonists who dig themselves in to a hole from minute one. Scott Mann’s “Fall” is the second type. Despite being acrophobic’s nightmare (that is about all “Fall” has going for it) it’s basically a how to, of what not to do when honoring a loved one.
DO spread their ashes if you want; it’s trite but sweet.
DON’T climb to the top of a humongous, unstable radio tower to do it.
What ever happened to lakes, oceans, or stable cliffs?
After losing her husband to a climbing accident, Becky spends most of her time locking out her loved ones and refusing to move on. Her friend Hunter, an internet influencer and survivalist, comes in to town, and convinces Becky to climb 2,000 feet to the top of a remote, abandoned radio tower. While there they find themselves stranded with no way down as the tower’s ladder has given way and broken in half. Now, Becky and Hunter’s expert climbing skills will be put to the test as they desperately fight to survive the elements, a lack of supplies, and vertigo-inducing heights. And there’s also some obnoxious vultures looking for a meal.
“Fall” is intended to be a survivalist thriller about fighting for life, and looking for a reason to go on. Audiences will just be dumbfounded by its mean spirited relentlessness for cruelty, and the sheer ineptitude (and idiocy) of our two main characters. Not only do they evade literal “Warning” signs, and fail to do research on the radio tower’s structure, but they don’t alert anyone to where they’re going. They fail to charge any of their devices, don’t securely pack supplies, and there are just so much more dunderheaded mistakes. By the second half I was blaming Hunter for convincing her traumatized friend to take such a stupid leap. Director Scott Mann looks for various ways to pad the overlong movie, with repetitive conversations about re-claiming life.
He also tosses in a lot of obstacles that also feel like they could very well have been avoided with common sense. I was also never sure why Mann had to insist on weird fake outs as the whole dilemma of Becky stuck on top of a tower seemed adequate enough. “Fall” could have benefited with ten less minutes in its run time as well as a meatier script that spent time examining the characters. It instead it feels like just one big missed opportunity paired with two brutally stupid people, one of whom is likely royally screwed once the movie has drawn to a close. Despite its great photography and strong supporting turn by Jeffrey Dean Morgan, “Fall” is a lackluster product of its sub-genre that makes us root for the vultures and less for the humans.