FALL

An acrophobic adventure filled with silly thrills.

I thought I only had one worst nightmare. Being stranded in shark infested water. Period. I couldn’t imagine anything more terrifying than that. Until today. Thanks a lot Fall. Now as easy as it is to avoid shark infested waters it is even easier to avoid the nightmare Grace and Hunter find themselves in. As a matter of fact I can guarantee I will never, ever be in this situation. Because Grace and Hunter are idiots.

Technically I guess you could call them thrill seeking free climbers. Not to pass judgment on extreme sports people in general but watching Grace and Hunter’s situation unfold you can’t help but feel a tremendous sense that they were asking for it. Nobody forced them to climb the rusty, decrepit 2,000 foot tower they get stranded at the top of. Idiots.

Joking aside I was viscerally affected and completely invested in this film even when it pushes the boundaries of plausibility way past the breaking point. The tension is literally gut wrenching and the camera work really gives you a sense of instability and vertigo. The acting is serviceable but it’s the stunt work that is truly remarkable. Death defying. It’s an uncomfortable watch and a thrilling one at the same time.

Fall is an adrenaline rush to be sure. I was struck by how much it gave me a similar feeling as Open Water did. The powerlessness of being overwhelmed by your surroundings. The increasing hopelessness as each plan for salvation miserably fails. It’s an anxiety overload that may not be for everyone. In fact I’m still not sure if it was for me.