Everyone has a particular fear. Whether it’s drowning, fear of clowns, heights, or perhaps, the creepy nightcrawlers you spot in the corner of your eye, fear runs deep in all of us. A new movie called Fall takes the fear of heights in a unique direction that will certainly put anyone on edge. From the tense opening, well-established scenario, and decent acting from its central cast, Fall has the workings of an intense thrill ride, but sadly, this script just settles for the decent without being the heart-pounding thriller it could have been.  

Following the death of her husband after a rock-climbing incident, Becky (Grace Caroline Currey) is stricken with grief and unable to move forward with her life. Nearly a year passes, and Becky still holds onto her husband’s ashes and hasn’t fully come to terms with her insurmountable loss. Even though her father, James (Jeffrey Dean Morgan), continues to reach out, Becky has shut everyone away and finds her world on the brink of collapse. She spends her days drinking, spending time alone, and listening to the voice of her husband Dan (Mason Gooding) on his voicemail.  

Her best friend Hunter (Virginia Gardner) was there when Dan was killed in the accident, and she appears at Becky’s apartment to give her a recharge. Becky was once like Hunter. She was strong, avid, and a seeker of adventure. Now, she is reduced to sleeping all day and lacking the will the live her life after a terrible loss. Hunter has a plan. Hunter has located an abandoned radio tower in the desert that she wants to climb. She wants life to be the way it was and wishes Becky to join her. After much persuasion, Becky relents and decides to go on this trip.  

Hunter is young, determined, and looking for the ultimate adrenaline rush. She’s ready to take on this giant two-thousand-foot tower, film her experience, and post everything that unfolded on social media to earn those much-appreciated likes. This radio tower is massive and sticks straight into the sky. It’s in the middle of nowhere, and if an accident occurs, the abandoned tower should remind the would-be climbers to prepare for anything!  

The ladies arrive eager to enjoy their day. Hunter is ready to own this challenge while Becky struggles with her issues. Hunter continues to encourage Becky and does show plenty of support. Maybe all this pressure will finally give Becky the chance to reclaim the life she once had. Director Scott Mann does excellent work establishing the tower’s initial climb. Since the tower is abandoned, the majority of the metal structure is rusted, the ladder is wobblily, and it looks like the Sun has beaten this giant into submission.  

Oddly enough, the ladies either ignore the sounds of the tower upon ascension or are clueless. Once on top, the ladder’s screws loosen and break away, which causes the ladder to detach from the tower, leaving Becky and Hunter stranded at the top! How will they down? Is there any chance of rescue? Will we get some impressive escape attempts? Well, I’ll answer the last question, and the result is no. Despite being good climbers, they aren’t professionals, and since the collapse of the ladder, the ladies didn’t bring the right equipment with them in the event of an emergency.  

As a movie, Fall has the right ingredients, but in the end, it amounts to nothing more than a decent thriller but nothing worth remembering. I did appreciate the tension-building sequences of the duo ascending the tower, and we wonder what will occur during that time. As mentioned, Director Scott Mann delivers the goods, but afterward, we sit there waiting for something exciting to get our hearts racing, and sadly it just beats steadily. I do want to commend both Gardner and Currey for their performances. They both exemplify their fear and will to live. Aside from the weak melodrama, the movie attempts to force into the already treacherous scenario; the movie could’ve used a tweak to the script to engage the audience in a pulse-shattering thriller. Perhaps, the script was intended to offer a slower-paced story, but once this film ends, your pulse will be completely calm.  

Score 2.5 out of 5  

Fall has everything going for it in the initial setup but fails to capture our attention and leave us gripping our seats. The visuals will give you those sweaty palms, especially when the camera faces a downward position. I appreciated the idea, the actors, and the attempt at bringing some sense of realism to a movie such as this, but with a title like Fall, I was hoping for something that would make me slam my feet on the ground to make sure I was safe.  

Unfortunately, Fall is a decent thriller that’s effective, but it won’t resonate in your mind for long. If you want a movie to distract you for under two hours, then perhaps this may suffice, but you won’t be catching your breath once it’s over.