10 NEW TO NETFLIX

“The American“
“Barbarian“
“Becoming Led Zeppelin“
“The Blues Brothers“
“Dunkirk“
“Midnight Run“
“Now You See Me“
“Piece by Piece“
“The Town“
“Us“

10 NEW TO BLU-RAY/DVD

“Dark City“

On his new commentary for the excellent “Dark City,” Alex Proyas breaks down the tumultuous production and disastrous screening process that led to the film’s mangling, citing the support of Roger Ebert as a factor in keeping a film alive that may have otherwise disappeared into the vaults of film history. People kept finding “Dark City,” some of them even hysterically turning the sound off during that awful narration in the theatrical cut when they screened it, according to the excellent new documentary “Return to Dark City.” Now you can watch the film as it was meant to be seen in the best quality to date, thanks to a 4K restoration from the original negatives. Arrow has gone all out with their best 2025 release so far, a box set that includes a collector’s book, a poster, two new commentaries, three archival commentaries (including the INCREDIBLE one by Roger himself), and archival featurettes. It’s a film that has lost none of its power, remaining as effective today as when it was released. Maybe even better.

Special Features

• Brand new 4K restoration from the original 35mm camera negatives approved by director of photography Dariusz Wolski
• Two cuts: the Director’s Cut and Theatrical Cut of the film
• Original DTS-HD MA 5.1, stereo 2.0 and new Dolby Atmos audio options for both cuts of the film
• Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
• 60-page perfect bound collectors book featuring new writing by author Richard Kadrey, and film critics Sabina Stent, Virat Nehru and Martyn Pedler
• Limited edition packaging featuring newly commissioned artwork by Doug John Miller
• Double-sided fold-out poster featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Doug John Miller
• Three postcard-sized reproduction art cards
• Postcard from Shell Beach
• Dr Schreber business card
• DISC ONE: DIRECTOR’S CUT
• Brand new audio commentary by director Alex Proyas
• Brand new audio commentary with Craig Anderson, Bruce Isaacs and Herschel Isaacs, co-hosts of the Film Versus Film podcast
• Archive audio commentary by director Alex Proyas
• Archive audio commentary by film critic Roger Ebert
• Archive audio commentary by writers Lem Dobbs and David S. Goyer
• Archive introduction by Alex Proyas
• Return to Dark City, a new hour-long documentary featuring interviews with director Alex Proyas, producer Andrew Mason, production designers Patrick Tatopoulos and George Liddle, costume designer Liz Keough, storyboard artist Peter Pound, director of photography Dariusz Wolski, actor Rufus Sewell, hair & makeup artist Leslie Vanderwalt and VFX creative director Peter Doyle
• Rats in a Maze, a new visual essay by film scholar Alexandra West
• I’m as Much in the Dark as You Are, a new visual essay by film scholar Josh Nelson on film noir and identity in Dark City
• Design & Storyboards
• DISC TWO: THEATRICAL CUT
• Archive audio commentary by director Alex Proyas, writers Lem Dobbs & David S. Goyer, director of photography Dariusz Wolski and production designer Patrick Tatopoulos
• Archive audio commentary by film critic Roger Ebert
• Memories of Shell Beach, a 2008 featurette in which cast and crew look back at the making of the film from concept to reception
• Architecture of Dreams, a 2008 featurette presenting five perspectives on the themes and meanings of the film
• Theatrical trailer
• Image gallery

“Drop“

The only new movie in this month’s highlights of the physical media scene is admittedly not a perfect flick. It’s no “Dark City” or “Sorcerer.” And I totally understand why so many critics dismissed this film as abject nonsense, or were offended by how it uses domestic violence as a plot twist. But suspension of disbelief is a subjective thing, and I went on the ride with Christopher Landon’s undeniably silly thriller, perhaps treating it with kid gloves due to the amount of garbage I saw around it at SXSW this year. The point is that if you go into “Drop” with the right expectations, it works. Meghann Fahy and Brandon Sklenar have an old-fashioned movie star charm that we don’t see that often anymore, and Landon knows how to pace a thriller like this one. I suspect it will do well on the home market and instantly shoot to #1 on whatever streamer it lands on.

Special Features

• FEATURE COMMENTARY WITH DIRECTOR CHRISTOPHER LANDON
• A RECIPE FOR THRILLS: MAKING DROP – Join the cast and crew of DROP as they sort through the ingredients of this date gone wrong.
• A PALATE FOR PANIC- Take a seat and devour the details that went into creating Palate, a film set that doubles as a fully operational restaurant.
• KILLER CHEMISTRY – Join Meghann Fahy and Brandon Sklenar as they discuss their characters’ first date and how they managed to keep Violet and Henry grounded throughout the escalation of events.

“Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday”/”Jason X”

Regular readers of this column know how much I LOVE Arrow Home Video. One of the main reasons I do is that they don’t play favorites. A lot of studios would devote attention to a cult classic like “Dark City,” but most wouldn’t give the same lavish treatment to a pair of admittedly lesser sequels to “Friday the 13th,” understanding that physical media collector’s editions are for the fans. They have placed “Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday” and “Jason X” (the 9th and 10th films in the Jason Voorhees saga, if you don’t know) on a pedestal like they’re horror classics. And, you know what, they’re both way more fun than you remember. The recent success of the “Final Destination” reboot could easily lead to a resurrection of the slasher icon, and these releases have me more excited about that possibility than I was before I sampled their commentaries, featurettes, and films. (And, confession time, I always kinda liked the goofy insanity that is the Jason in Space sequel. More horror movies should be that dumb.)

“Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday” Special Features

• Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Gary Pullin
• Double-sided foldout poster featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Gary Pullin
• Illustrated collector’s booklet featuring new writing on the film by JA Kerswell and original production notes
• DISC ONE – THEATRICAL CUT
• Introduction to the film by director Adam Marcus
• Faces of Death, a brand new interview with special make-up effects creator Robert Kurtzman
• Undercover Angel, a brand new interview with actor Julie Michaels
• Mixing it Up, a brand new interview with composer Harry Manfredini
• The Gates of Hell, an archival interview with director Adam Marcus
• Jason vs. Terminator, director Adam Marcus on growing up with the Cunninghams
• Über-Jason, an archival interview with Kane Hodder on playing Jason
• Additional TV footage, with optional commentary by director Adam Marcus
• Theatrical trailer and TV spots
• Stills, behind-the-scenes and poster galleries
• DISC TWO – UNRATED CUT
• Brand new audio commentary with film historians Michael Felsher and Steve “Uncle Creepy” Barton
• Archival audio commentary with director Adam Marcus and author Peter Bracke
• Archival audio commentary with director Adam Marcus and screenwriter Dean Lorey
• “Jason X” Special Features
• Original lossless stereo and DTS-HD 5.1 surround audio options
• Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
• Introduction to the film by actor Kane Hodder
• Brand new audio commentary with film historians Michael Felsher and Steve “Uncle Creepy” Barton
• Archival audio commentary with writer Todd Farmer and author Peter Bracke
• Archival audio commentary with director Jim Isaac, writer Todd Farmer and producer Noel Cunningham
• Scoring the Stars, a brand new interview with composer Harry Manfredini
• Outta Space: The Making of Jason X, an archival documentary on the making of the film featuring interviews with producers Noel Cunningham and Sean S. Cunningham, actor Kane Hodder and writer Todd Farmer
• In Space No One Can Hear You Scream, an archival interview with writer Todd Farmer
• Kristi Is a Headbanger, an archival interview with actor Kristi Angus
• Jason Rebooted, Sean S. Cunningham on Jason Goes to Hell and Jason X
• The Many Lives of Jason Voorhees, an archival documentary on the history of the character
• By Any Means Necessary: The Making of Jason X, archival making-of documentary
• Cast and crew interviews
• Behind-the-scenes footage
• Electronic Press Kit
• Theatrical trailers and TV spots
• Stills, behind-the-scenes and poster galleries
• Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Gary Pullin
• Double-sided foldout poster featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Gary Pullin
• Illustrated collector’s booklet featuring new writing on the film by Matt Donato and JA Kerswell

“Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters” (Criterion)

The 4K version of “Mishima” was a part of the Criterion 40th anniversary set, but it’s now available standalone, allowing fans to buy it separately and appreciate one of the company’s best 4K digital restorations, overseen by Paul Schrader himself. Schrader is a fascinating filmmaker, especially in his unusual career resurgence of the 2010s and 2020s, alongside his questionable social media presence. (And, of course, we shouldn’t ignore the recent sexual assault accusations, which Schrader adamantly denies.) The point is that he’s one of the ’70s icons who has remained a vital part of the filmmaking scene, for better or worse. If you only know his recent work like “First Reformed” or the classics like “Taxi Driver,” take the time to check out the lyrically bruising “Mishima,” a work with some Schrader’s strongest technical elements, thanks in part to the stunning production design of Eiko Ishioka and memorable score by Philip Glass.

Special Features

• 4K digital restoration of the director’s cut, supervised and approved by director Paul Schrader and cinematographer John Bailey, with 2.0 surround DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack
• One 4K UHD disc of the film and one Blu-ray with the film and special features
• Two alternate English narrations, including one by actor Roy Scheider
• Audio commentary featuring Schrader and producer Alan Poul
• Program on the making of the film featuring Bailey, producers Tom Luddy and Mata Yamamoto, composer Philip Glass, and production designer Eiko Ishioka
• Program on Yukio Mishima featuring his biographer John Nathan and friend Donald Richie
• Audio interview with coscreenwriter Chieko Schrader
• Interview excerpt from 1966 featuring Mishima talking about writing
• The Strange Case of Yukio Mishima, a 1985 documentary about the author
• Trailer
• PLUS: An essay by critic Kevin Jackson, a piece on the film’s censorship in Japan, and photographs of Ishioka’s sets

“The Nice Guys“

Second Sight has been killing it lately, and they’ve released their most enticing 2025 release so far in this special 4K edition of Shane Black’s wonderful comedy/noir “The Nice Guys.” The film itself has only grown in cult classic status since its release, and this edition should add fuel to that growing fire (and maybe get us a long-desired sequel). The Second Sight edition includes not only a new 4K master approved by Black but also some fantastic special features. The highlight is a new commentary track featuring Black, co-writer Anthony Bagarozzi, and writer Priscilla Page, who is spectacular at turning the commentary into a sort of live Q&A, asking questions about the film as it unfolds. It’s one of my favorite audio tracks in years—a funny, insightful, and clever companion that matches the tone and quality of the film behind it.

Special Features

• Dual format edition including both UHD and Blu-ray with main feature and bonus features on both discs
• New 4K UHD master produced by Second Sight Films and presented in HDR Dolby Vision approved by Director Shane Black
• New audio commentary with Shane Black and Co-Writer Anthony Bagarozzi moderated by Writer Priscilla Page
• Knights in Tarnished Armour: a new interview with Shane Black
• Finding an Audience: a new interview with Co-Producer Ethan Erwin
• A Thousand Cuts: a new interview with Director of Photography Philippe Rousselot
• From Lethal Weapons to Nice Guys: a video essay by Leigh Singer
• Always Bet on Black
• Making The Nice Guys: Worst. Detectives. Ever.
• Cast Interviews
• Trailers

“Sean Connery 6-Film Collection”

It was recently announced that James Bond would return … in a video game and TV show. Is the legacy of 007 dead? It’s been years since “No Time to Die,” and we still don’t know who the next Bond will be, if there will even be another film iteration. It’s truly the end of an era. If we are at the end, why not go back to the beginning and rejoice in the glory of the man who’s arguably still the best spy with the license to kill, Sean Connery, in all his suave glory in this 6-film collection of six of his films in 4K, all given new scans of original camera negatives in this collection. The films are “Dr. No,” “From Russia with Love,” “Goldfinger,” “Thunderball,” “You Only Live Twice,” and “Diamonds Are Forever.” There’s a slim 6-film edition and a steelbook box set that’s even more impressive. All the special features have been imported (nothing new), but it’s an impressively extensive list (courtesy of Blu-ray.com).

• Special Features
• DISC 1: DR. NO
• Audio Commentary – An archival track with director Terence Young and members of the cast and crew.
• Declassified: MI6 Vault (2 clips, 18:15 total) – A pair of fairly brief vintage pieces, “The Guns of James Bond” and “Premiere Bond: Opening Nights”.
• Exotic Locations (2:36) – A short retrospective about the locations used in the film.
• Mission Dossier (3 clips, 68:45 total) – Three mid-length vintage featurettes: “Inside Dr. No”, “Terence Young: Bond Vivant”, and the aptly-named “Dr. No 1963 Featurette”.
• Ministry of Propaganda – A generous collection of trailers, TV spots, and radio ads.
• DISC 2: FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE
• Audio Commentary – An archival track with director Terence Young and members of the cast and crew.
• Declassified: MI6 Vault (4 clips, 19:35 total) – A few fairly brief vintage pieces including “Ian Fleming: The CBC Interview”, “Ian Fleming & Raymond Chandler”, “Ian Fleming on Desert Island Discs”, and an animated storyboard sequence.
• Exotic Locations (3:14) – Another short retrospective about the locations used in the film.
• Mission Dossier (2 clips, 60:28 total) – A pair of mid-length vintage featurettes, “Inside From Russia With Love” and “Harry Saltzman: Showman”.
• Ministry of Propaganda – Another pile of trailers, TV spots, and radio ads.
• DISC 3: GOLDFINGER
• Audio Commentary #1 – An archival track with director Guy Hamilton.
• Audio Commentary #2 – A second archival track with members of the cast and crew.
• Declassified: MI6 Vault (5 clips, 28:44 total) – A few vintage pieces including “Sean Connery from the Set of Goldfinger”, “Theodore Bikel Scren Test”, “Tito Vandis Screen Test”, “On Tour with the Aston Martin DB5”, and “Honor Blackman Open-Ended Interview”.
• Exotic Locations (3:15) – Another short retrospective about the locations used in the film.
• Mission Dossier (2 clips, 55:19 total) – Two mid-length vintage featurettes, “The Making of Goldfinger” and “The Goldfinger Phenomenon”.
• Ministry of Propaganda – Hey, who wants some more trailers, TV spots, and radio ads?
• DISC 4: THUNDERBALL
• Audio Commentary #1 – An archival track with director Terence Young.
• Audio Commentary #2 – A second DVD-era track with editor Peter Hunt, screenwriter John Hopkins, and more.
• Declassified: MI6 Vault (5 clips, 88:02 total) – A nice collection of vintage pieces including “The Incredible World of James Bond – Original 1965 NBC Television Special”, “A Child’s Guide to Blowing Up a Motor Car – 1965 Ford Promotional Film”, “On Location with Ken Adam”, “Bill Suitor: The Rocket Man Movies” and “Thunderball Boat Show Reel”.
• Selling Bonds (3 clips, 2:09 total) – Old black-and-white TV commercials hawking James Bond-themed raincoats, slacks, and of course toys.
• Exotic Locations (3:18) – Another “fun in the sun” location featurette.
• Mission Dossier (3 clips, 62:27 total) – Three more mid-length vintage featurettes including “The Making of Thunderball”, “The Thunderball Phenomenon” and “The Secret History of Thunderball”.
• Ministry of Propaganda – A gag reel! Just kidding… it’s more trailers, TV spots, and radio ads.
• DISC 5: YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE
• Audio Commentary – An archival track with director Lewis Gilbert and members of the cast and crew.
• Declassified: MI6 Vault (3 clips, 61:41 total) – A trio of mid-length vintage pieces including “Welcome to Japan Mr. Bond”, “Whicker’s World – Highlights from 1967 BBC Documentary”, and “On Location with Ken Adam”.
• Mission Dossier (4 clips, 60:28 total) – Another round of vintage featurettes including “Inside You Only Live Twice”, “Silhouettes: The James Bond Titles”, “Plane Crash: Animated Storyboard Sequence”, and “Exotic Locations”.
• Ministry of Propaganda – You guessed it: more trailers, TV spots, and radio ads.
• DISC 6: DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER
• Audio Commentary – An archival track with director Terence Young and members of the cast and crew.
• Declassified: MI6 Vault (4 clips, 19:35 total) – A few fairly brief vintage pieces including “Ian Fleming: The CBC Interview”, “Ian Fleming & Raymond Chandler”, “Ian Fleming on Desert Island Discs”, and an animated storyboard sequence.
• Alternate and Expanded Angles (5 clips, 33:24 total) – Different versions of five scenes from the film.
• Deleted Scenes (6 clips, 7:40 total) – Shout out to Sammy Davis, Jr.
• Mission Dossier (3 clips, 66:28 total) – Three mid-length vintage featurettes: “Inside Diamonds are Forever”, “Cubby Broccoli: The Man Behind Bond”, and “Exotic Locations”.
• Ministry of Propaganda – One Christmas trailer, as well as a few TV spots and radio ads.

“Sorcerer” (Criterion)

Whenever the masterful William Friedkin comes up in conversation, I think of seeing his incredible “Sorcerer” on the big screen at the inaugural 2013 Chicago Critics Film Festival. It was a core memory, especially because the film wasn’t widely available on any physical media at the time. Twelve years later, you can own this masterful reinterpretation of the equally masterful “The Wages of Fear” in 4K for the very first time with a stunning sound mix that Friedkin himself approved. The Criterion release also includes the great documentary “Friedkin Uncut,” along with a brilliant conversation between admirer James Gray and critic Sean Fennessey. If that’s not enough, pick this up for an essay by the Pulitzer Prize-winning (and wonderful New Yorker critic) Justin Chang.

Special Features

• New 4K digital restoration, with 5.1 surround DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack approved by director William Friedkin, and alternate original theatrical 2.0 surround DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack
• One 4K UHD disc of the film presented in Dolby Vision HDR and two Blu-rays with the film and special features
• Friedkin Uncut (2018), a documentary by Francesco Zippel featuring interviews with Friedkin, screenwriter Walon Green, filmmakers Wes Anderson and Francis Ford Coppola, and others
• New conversation between filmmaker James Gray and film critic Sean Fennessey
• Conversation from 2015 between Friedkin and filmmaker Nicolas Winding Refn
• Archival audio interviews with Green and editor Bud Smith, from the collection of Giulia D’Agnolo Vallan, author of William Friedkin (2003)
• Behind-the-scenes footage
• Trailer
• English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
• PLUS: An essay by film critic Justin Chang

“Thirty Two Short Films About Glenn Gould” (Criterion)

I was a teenager when this Canadian film hit the arthouse theater in which I was working over the summer, and I would not shut up about it. Formally inventive and remarkably calibrated, this Genie Award (the Canadian Oscar) for Best Picture is an inspired choice by Criterion, as it’s the kind of film that it truly feels like history has forgotten. It’s certainly not one I predicted would get a 4K restoration, alongside a new commentary by director François Girard and a conversation between him and another Canadian master, Atom Egoyan. So what is “Thirty Two Short Films About Glenn Gould”? It’s a biopic that’s unlike any you’ve ever seen.

Special Features

• New 4K digital restoration, supervised and approved by director François Girard, with 5.1 surround DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack
• One 4K UHD disc of the film and one Blu-ray with the film and special features
• New audio commentary featuring Girard and cowriter-actor Don McKellar
• New conversation between Girard and filmmaker Atom Egoyan
• Glenn Gould: Off the Record and Glenn Gould: On the Record, companion programs from 1959
• Archival interviews with actor Colm Feore and producer Niv Fichman
• Trailer
• English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
• PLUS: An essay by author and film critic Michael Koresky

“The Wiz” (Criterion)

Sidney Lumet never missed, not even on a job for which it would seem he might not be the right fit. His approach for “The Wiz,” an adaptation of the Tony-winning play of the same name, was basically to get out of the way. Let the love for both the original L. Frank Baum source and the play do most of the work, and let a truly insane cast, led by Diana Ross and Michael Jackson, do the lifting. Critics mostly hated “The Wiz,” and it bombed at the box office, but that reputation shifted almost immediately. I remember as a child of the ’80s enjoying “The Wiz,” and it built a reputation over the years, enough to get a 4K Criterion restoration. Pick it up to relive your childhood and to read a fantastic essay by the truly brilliant Aisha Harris.

Special Features

• New 4K digital restoration, approved by producer Rob Cohen, with Dolby Atmos soundtrack
• One 4K UHD disc of the film presented in Dolby Vision HDR and one Blu-ray with the film and special features
• New audio commentary featuring scholars Michael B. Gillespie and Alfred L. Martin
• Archival interviews with director Sidney Lumet and actor Diana Ross
• Trailer
• English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
• PLUS: An essay by critic Aisha Harris

★★★★

A delectable premise finds maniacal delivery in Drop, a taut new thriller from Happy Death Day’s Christopher Landon. As penned by Jillian Jacobs and Chris Roach, the film boasts the sort of idea so ripe for mining that it’s perplexing to think nobody has done so before. An AirDrop thriller for the iPhone era. Drop was, in fact, conceived only when the girlfriend of its executive producer, Sam Lerner, began receiving dodgy Shrek memes one night in a packed restaurant. It’s no huge leap to climb from crass to creepy and then on to criminal. In Landon’s hands, it’s splendidly scaled.

Meghann Fahy, best known for her turn in the second series of The White Lotus, leads as Violet, trauma therapist and single mum to young Toby, who is played by Irish TikTok export Jacob Robinson. A grisly past, teased in a stark opening sting, informs the almost obsessive bond between mother and son, but perhaps Violet is finally ready to move on. Her sister, Jen (Violett Beane), certainly thinks so. It’s with her encouragement – and an offer of free babysitting – that Violet accepts a date with winsome photographer Henry (It Ends With Us’ Brandon Sklenar). They’ve been texting for months and there’s clearly something there. It helps, of course, that he’s very good looking and innately sensitive.

He’s also late. It’s while waiting for Henry, held up on a job, in a swish, sky scraping bar, that Violet receives the first “drop”. This referring to the delivery of an image to Violet’s phone from a mystery source within fifty feet, aka the radius of their restaurant. What starts off in the realms of innocuous irritability – akin to an off-colour Shrek meme – soon ramps up, gifting the film an easy/queasy velocity. Any sign of a flagging in Landon’s pace is swiftly offset by the arrival of each new threatening message. Ultimately, Violet is compelled to murder Henry or watch her son and sister be killed.

With much of the film unfolding in the singular setting of Violet’s date, Landon recalls something of the Hitchcockian impetus. Certainly, Drop reminds of Rope or Rear Window in form and claustrophobic tension. Such has been knowingly referenced in the film’s art deco posters. While the simplicity of Drop’s device keeps things taut, the superfluity of Landon’s ensemble casts a wide culpability net, entwining the core thrill with an engrossing whodunnit mystery. Fahy is terrific here, both as Landon’s unwilling sleuth and muted scream queen, surveying all around her as would a pressure cog fit to burst. There’s an art to masking fear that proves all too close to lived experience when spectres of abuse come to the fore. In one look, Fahy says it all.

As befitting Landon’s signature verve, Drop’s horror inclinations come diverted through a rye ear for fun. Humour dances through the film, finding expression in cringe-inducing physical comedy and some killer one-liners: ‘my horoscope was right!’ This elevated refusal to take proceedings too seriously does well to circumnavigate severity, somewhat overcoming a flurry of the film’s less convincing – or, perhaps, more predictable – developments. That and a chic visual aesthetic that speaks sophistication in volumes.

It’s not so hard to envision the sequels that will freely spawn from Drop. Landon whittles well through his contemporary technologies toolbox to ramp up the paranoia in his thrills but there’s mileage more in the modern iPhone’s capacity to breach boundaries. These are troubling times for data security. It’s a boon for horror.

T.S.

That’s right, we’re talking about Blumhouse again. I haven’t been shy about my feelings on Blumhouse and their presence in the horror movie realm. And if you’re new to this channel, here’s a quick summation: me no likey.

But today we don’t have a horror film on our hands, but a psychological thriller, which some would say is horror’s PG-13 cousin. Our setting? A high rise restaurant overlooking beautiful Downtown City, USA. Our heroine? A mom looking to get back into the dating world after overcoming her past trauma. Our mystery? Somebody is airdropping her passive aggressive memes threatening to kill her son if she doesn’t follow their every command. Our verdict? Well, I’m about to say something I don’t say about Blumhouse often, and no, it’s not “it’s good”, but “it’s fine”. Hey, sometimes you gotta celebrate the little victories.

Drop offers up classic thriller setups with a bit of a modern twist, creating a mostly enjoyable whodunnit that can leave you guessing and doubting yourself at every turn. Our lead and supporting cast are a bit on the underdeveloped side, but their likability shines through whatever narrative hindrances potentially hold them back. But unfortunately, the film’s mystery, while intriguing on the surface, never really has that moment of unnerving genius to it, maybe because of its derivative nature or its unwillingness to go full blown nutty with it. It’s nothing amazing by any means, but in the realm of Blumhouse…shoot, it’s like finding a diamond after wading through a pile of shit, though I’m not super sure why I was digging through shit to begin with.

The film is directed by Christopher Landon, who, if you’ve been keeping up with modern horror, you may have seen a thing or two of his. He’s the director behind the Happy Death Day films and Freaky, and the writer behind a good chunk of the Paranormal Activity movies and even this year’s Heart Eyes. I wouldn’t exactly call him a modern horror visionary, but the guy has more often than not delivered on what I would call pretty decent pop horror. I think his biggest achievement in this film is his work with the actors, especially with our leads Meghann Fahy and Brandon Sklenar. Sure, a lot of the cutesy, cringey first date dialogue they’re given isn’t exactly stellar, but the two do feel genuine and, dare I say, have a bit of actual chemistry. Even some of the side characters are goofily good in their own way, like their overbearing waiter Matt. 

When it comes to capturing the shot though, I found this to be a pretty standard affair. There are definitely moments of creativity, like with the anonymous texts appearing on screen, the spotlight focusing on certain characters, or a moment where a bathroom stall’s walls turn into several security cameras. Unfortunately, those moments are few and far between, while everything else varies from bland to aggravating. I don’t know what it is with a lot of Blumhouse’s films, but they all seem to be shot in a very similar manner. There’s no real creative intention behind scene blocking or camera movements; it’s all just coverage without a thought about how the camera or the blocking could be used to elevate the scene. This film is a lot of talking, which means you are spending a lot of time in the same spot with the same two characters. But so many of these scenes are just shot with a basic shot/reverse shot method, which means you are seeing the same camera angle over and over again. This becomes excruciatingly apparent in the film’s editing, which often rapidly cuts back and forth between our two characters talking, almost fearing to hang on a shot for more than a second. There’s supposed to be a lot of tension and anxiety here, and something as simply refusing to cut away from an awkward conversation does wonders for instilling that feeling with the audience in a subtle way. But it almost feels like the shoot was one big mess and it had to be salvaged in the edit.

As for the mystery, it’s essentially in the same vein as Red Eye or Phone Booth. Our protagonist is stuck in one location and must solve a mystery if they want to leave alive. While I wouldn’t say this film has the claustrophobia of those two films, it still manages to generate some tension thanks to a large pool of people to be suspicious of and several red herrings to throw you off, some more obvious than others. The idea of having commands airdropped to you kind of feels gimmicky, but I think there’s some fun to be had there. As out of touch as some of these murderous memes feel, it does give the plot a bit of its own identity, and it’s a shame the film ditches them for just plain old texts early on. The concept doesn’t always feel like it has much to offer, but the filmmakers do a halfway decent job at tying the concept into the story in a way that makes you believe it couldn’t be told through any means other than this. But man, those downtimes between the deadly demands leaves us at the mercy of the script, which is not the strongest. Like I said, a lot of this film is talking between our two main characters, and none of it is exactly worthwhile or imperative to understanding the characters. And lastly, the mystery isn’t one of those that really feels rewarding to get to, mostly because it’s less concerned with figuring out who’s the culprit and more with if our main character will kill her date to save her son. An intriguing moral dilemma, just not one that ever really feels inevitable.   

It may straddle the line of reason at times, but Drop isn’t the worst thing you could be seeing at the movies. The plot at least has a tinge of originality to it thanks to its integration of a modern day feature, and the cast does a decent enough job with what they’re given. It’s bound to not really shock you or give you a new view on the mystery thriller genre, but for what it’s worth, there’s still some decently silly fun to be had with this. The last thing I want is to sit through 90 minutes of Hitchcock and ball torture, so good job Blumhouse for not making me call you the bane of Hollywood this time around. With this, you’re less Bane and more…I dunno, the Ventriloquist. 

RATING

SNAREDROP

Bomb cocktails are perfect for those looking to add a couple extra, messy steps to their drinking experience. You may be familiar with some bomb cocktails such as the Boilermaker or the Snake Bite, but the Snaredrop plays things a little differently. This is a soda-based cocktail that will have a shot mixed with tequila, aperol and raspberry liqueur dropped into it. The final product is a bubbly, slightly sweet cocktail that feels like a cross between a ranch water and a fruity lemonade. And of course, if you don’t want all the theatrics that come with the drink, you can still make this by pouring everything into a tall glass and stirring with ice.

INGREDIENTS

• 6oz lemon lime soda
• 1/2oz lime juice
• 1oz tequila
• 1/2oz aperol
• 1/2oz raspberry liqueur

INSTRUCTIONS

1. In a tall glass, add the soda and the lime juice. Amount of soda may vary depending on glass, but you want to fill it up enough so that the shot glass will be completely submerged.
2. Add remaining ingredients to a shot glass.
3. Drop the shot glass into the tall glass.
4. Add ice and enjoy.