Drop

Director Christopher Landon has likely made his best movie to date with this Hitchcockian thriller.

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I’ve long been a fan Christopher Landon’s films. The son of “Bonanza,” “Little House on the Prairie” and “Highway to Heaven” star Michael Landon has entertained with his “Happy Death Day” pictures (which I admittedly very much enjoy), but I especially responded to the lesser-known “Freaky” (my review here) and “We Have a Ghost” (review here). Landon’s latest is the fun(ny) Hitchcockian thriller “Drop” (in theaters beginning Friday, April 11) and it’s arguably the best thing he’s done to date from what I’ve seen.

Rising star Meghann Fahy stars as Violet, who was a victim of abuse at the hands of her late husband Blake (Michael Shea). She’s bravely using this unfortunate experience to help others by becoming a counselor to those suffering similar circumstances.

Violet is living in the Chicagoland area with her young son Toby (Jacob Robinson, a cute tyke who sorta resembles Sherman from “The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show”) and hasn’t dated in years. After talking to good-looking nice guy Henry (Brandon Sklenar of “It Ends with Us” and “1923” – looking like the lost Hemsworth brother) for months on an online dating app, she agrees to meet him in person for a date at Palate, an upscale restaurant atop a skyscraper. Aiding Violet in making this date possible is her sister Jen (Violett Beane, a Blumhouse alum having also co-starred in “Truth or Dare”), who agrees to babysit Toby.

Violet and Henry quickly hit it off and things are going swimmingly until she begins receiving drops on her phone from a nearby cell user. The messages are playful at first, but become increasingly instructive and threatening. The user goes so far as to hack into Violet’s security system and begins sending videos of an armed and masked intruder inside her home. She must now do whatever the user tells her lest Jen and Toby get killed. Understandably, Violet begins acting erratically sabotaging she and Henry’s chemistry. He’s mostly just concerned for his date’s well-being and wants to be of assistance to her.

“Drop” is a hugely entertaining, efficient and stressful thriller clocking in at a mere 100 minutes, which kind of calls to mind Jaume Collet-Serra’s recent “Carry-On.” It’s expertly directed by Landon, shot by Marc Spicer (reteaming with Landon after “We Have a Ghost”) and edited by Ben Baudhuin (another Landon veteran reuniting for their fourth film together). The script from Jillian Jacobs and Christopher Roach (they had a hand in penning the previously mentioned “Truth or Dare”) is often ridiculous, but also ridiculously entertaining.

Fahy and Sklenar are going to be booking roles for ages on the basis of their performances here. They’re both highly appealing and likable and vibe well with one another. Fahy, whose work I’ve admired on “The White Lotus” and in “The Unbreakable Boy,” especially shines. They’re strongly supported by Beane and Reed Diamond, Gabrielle Diamond, Jeffery Self and Ed Weeks as fellow restaurant patrons and staff.

Some might read the domestic violence subplot as distasteful or tacky, but I’d argue it sheds light on an important issue and will hopefully serve to empower survivors.

Even though I’m a huge cinephile, I never really incorporated movies into first dates. Take it from me –“Drop” is a first date movie that’d make for a great first date movie.