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The Fall Guy

After a stunt gone wrong, professional stuntman Colt Seavers loses his confidence, his girl, and his way. But when the love of his life needs him on the set of her big directorial break, Colt comes out of his early retirement. Little does he know that being blown up and set on fire will be the least of his problems. He’ll need all of his stuntman training if he hopes to save the day and get the girl.

The Fall Guy Review

Held together almost entirely by a cast that is far, far better than the material, The Fall Guy is a bit of a mess and a huge missed opportunity.

Barely watchable only thanks to Ryan Gosling’s defibrillator-like charisma shocking the story’s corpse back to life between bad jokes and poorly developed everything else, The Fall Guy seemingly goes out of its way to arrest its own momentum scene after scene.

Likewise, Emily Blunt is a fine actress who gives it her absolute best, delivering a sincere and nuanced performance and doing better than most anyone else could with the viscous crud of lazy dialogue penned by writer Drew Pearce (Iron Man 3). Still, even her formidable talent can’t make up for the film’s fundamental flaws.

The Fall Guy fails hardest in its tone. It never fully commits to being slapstick, parody, serious, etc., and so ends up not being any of them. The premise of a fearless can-do man’s man who puts his years of stunt training to work against opponents who’ve never been pitted against someone willing to throw himself through plated glass and fall ten stories to make a point, a man who can fight and drive, and blow $h!t up and do it all with a smile and a wink has everything it needs to be fun and exciting. Unfortunately, The Fall Guy seems almost ashamed to be what it is.

Its main story is that of a will-they-won’t-they romance played with too much sincerity for a movie with such an over-the-top premise. The romance angle could have worked but as a secondary or even tertiary plot. Instead, every time an adventurous scene is about to get interesting, the momentum is crash test dummied into a narrative brick wall as Emily Blunt calls Colt with a thinly veiled relationship metaphor that goes on forever or sings karaoke that goes on forever or does something else that goes on forever.

On those few occasions when the action isn’t brought to a complete and awkward halt by childish relationship silliness, it’s done so with an unnecessary and unfunny joke, almost as if director David Leitch (Bullet Train, Deadpool 2) is apologizing to the audience that The Fall Guy is an action film.

Coincidentally, copious quantities of irony also help to grind any emotional throughline to dust. Much like how each of the four leads in 2016’s Lady Ghostbusters was the slapstick “comic relief,” most of The Fall Guy’s cast take turns competing to see who can be the most Paul Rudd. Has the tension or excitement built? Has Ryan Gosling just been a super cool bad@$$? Welp, that means it’s time for him to knock himself down a peg with some “awe shucks” comedic self-referential irony or by treating the situation with overdeveloped meta-casualness.

When the pyrotechnics settle, and the rolling stunt cars come to a stop, The Fall Guy has the right ingredients with the wrong formula.

WOKE ELEMENTS

Not Much

• Ok, there are a couple of moments in which a small woman is far more physically dangerous than they would be in real life, but it honestly comes across more as poor filmmaking than a desire by the filmmakers to make a girl boss.
  • The one or two scenes are brief and can mostly be explained away by force multipliers or a cumbersome costume.
• The phrase toxic masculinity is uttered once, but the person using it is a vapid, self-absorbed narcissist who isn’t supposed to be taken seriously.

The One Thing

• Emily Blunt and some random bit player are the only two characters in the film who aren’t on the spectrum between slightly or narratively conveniently dumb to borderline vegetable. They aren’t superwomen by any means, but I suppose they are noteworthy in that they are the only ones.

The Reluctant Man’s Man

• Gosling’s Colt Seavers is a capable man of action… who isn’t the brightest, cries to chick songs, and never initiates anything. Even when he takes charge, it’s only with permission from one of the female characters. He’s a puppy dog with teeth instead of a rottweiler with manners.
  • It’s barely noticeable because Ryan Gosling is so charismatic, and Emily Blunt seems so incredibly pleasant.

The post The Fall Guy first appeared on Worth it or Woke.

Nosferatu

The performance by Max Schreck as Count Orlok is truly unforgettable. His portrayal of the vampire is both terrifying and sympathetic, making the audience truly fear for the characters in the film. The make-up and costume design for Count Orlok is also noteworthy, adding to the sense of otherworldly horror. The use of special effects in the film, such as the use of miniatures and superimposition, adds to the overall eerie atmosphere.

The film’s score, composed by Hans Erdmann, is also noteworthy. The music effectively enhances the mood of the film and adds to the overall sense of dread. The use of leitmotifs to represent Count Orlok and the town is particularly effective in building tension.

It’s hard not to be impressed by the film’s visual style, which is heavily influenced by German Expressionism. The use of shadows, angles and distorted perspectives create an otherworldly feel that is both eerie and beautiful. Murnau’s use of location shooting in the real towns and landscapes adds to the realism of the film and makes the horror feel all the more tangible.

While the film’s pacing is slower than that of more recent horror films, the tension is built up effectively, making the scares all the more impactful. The film also explores themes of fear, death and the unknown, adding depth to the story. The film’s ending is also particularly satisfying, bringing the story to a close in a fitting and satisfying manner.

All in all, Nosferatu is a masterful blend of atmosphere, performances, visuals, music, and storytelling that continues to be a must-watch for any horror fan. The film’s attention to detail and its ability to create an eerie and otherworldly atmosphere is truly impressive. The film’s exploration of deeper themes and the satisfying ending make it a truly memorable and impactful film. It’s a film that is sure to leave a lasting impression on viewers and continues to be a benchmark in the horror genre.

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