Drop’s Unique Approach To Filming Improved The Movie’s Performances In The Best Way
Warning! Spoilers ahead for Drop.Christopher Landon took a rather unique approach to filming Drop, and it appears to have had a wonderful effect on the actors’ performances. The film’s reputation has been such that many viewers aren’t content to wait for Drop’s streaming release. While it’s hardly earning the same numbers as many higher-budget movies, it’s still been successful at earning back most of its production budget during opening weekend alone. Admittedly, it might not be the type of movie that typically warrants a long theatrical run, but interested viewers will want to see it soon enough not to have Drop’s ending spoiled.
Nearly everything from the movie’s pacing to the inclusion of a piano version of “Baby Shark” in Drop’s soundtrack has been praised, but Happy Death Day director Christopher Landon also did some unique things behind the scenes that the average movie critic might not know about. Landon is primarily known for his ability to expertly blend comedy and horror, but both the laughs and suspense in Drop received a surprising bit of extra help simply from the movie’s uncommon production schedule.
Drop Was Filmed Largely In Sequence With An Uncertain Scene Schedule
The Actors Said That It Was Filmed Like A Play
Although Drop’s trailer arguably did more than enough legwork in selling the film on its own, stars Meghann Fahy and Brandon Sklenar also played their part in the obligatory release-week talk show appearances. While most viewers don’t typically expect new information from these talk shows, an interesting detail came out when Kelly Clarkson asked the actors about Drop being filmed in the style of a play. Evidently, since the majority of the film takes place at a single table in a restaurant, the scenes were largely filmed in script order.
This led to an uncertain schedule. According to Fahy, every actor that appears in the restaurant was on set every day, often without knowing if they’d actually be filmed that day. This makes sense for the sake of keeping the background consistent, but Fahy also notes that the actors typically kept ten pages ahead of the day’s planned scenes because there was a chance they might shoot more than planned. That wouldn’t be possible for a Landon film like Freaky, where there are significantly more shooting locations, but it helped make Drop one of the best movies of SXSW 2025.
Drop’s Filming Approach Makes The Characters’ Uncertainty Feel More Genuine
The Movie Is Literally Designed To Feel Awkward At All Times
Fahy’s reveal that the actors often didn’t know which scenes they’d be filming actually falls in line with the movie’s themes. While Drop’s unanswered questions might be an unfortunate mark against the movie, the script generally does an excellent job at blending the awkwardness of first dates with the suspense of the film’s blackmail plot. There’s a certain sense of unease in every scene, and that feels a lot more authentic knowing that the actors spent every day unsure of which scenes they’d need to be prepared to shoot.
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Drop Creates A Major Plot Hole By Completely Forgetting To Explain A Key Aspect Of Villain’s Plan
Although Drop does an excellent job of maintaining intensity from end to end, one aspect of the villain’s plan creates an inexplicable story issue.
This doesn’t just pertain to Fahy’s Violet or Sklenar’s Henry, either. Non-restaurant characters like Violett Beane’s Jen or Michael Shea’s Blake, the latter of whom is responsible for Drop’s post-credits message, probably had their shooting schedules laid out pretty well. But Jeffery Self’s Matt brilliantly adds to the discomfort of Violet and Henry’s first date, and the fact that he likely didn’t know they’d be getting to his scenes on certain days only serves to benefit the awkwardness and uncertainty with which he has to play a waiter who’s just starting his first shift at a classy restaurant.
Drop’s Reviews Prove That Their Filming Approach Ultimately Benefited The Film
The Performances Were Better Because They Felt Off The Cuff
Many of Drop’s positive reviews focus specifically on the cast. In fact, the film’s performances are so remarkable that even one of its harshest reviewers wanted to see more of the actors’ talent. It was specifically Odie Henderson of The Boston Globe, one of the more aggressively negative contributors to Drop’s current 83% Rotten Tomatoes score, who made the concession that “Fahy and Sklenar are so good in [one scene about Violet’s past] that I wanted more of them engaging with each other on their date.”
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4 Best Movies To Watch Before Drop, Blumhouse’s New 89% Thriller
From similar suspense thrillers to other movies by director Christopher Landon, there are plenty of great films to watch while waiting for Drop.
It is only since wide release that the movie’s RT score has dropped from the original 90% it held after SXSW, during which 1923 actor Brandon Sklenar revealed that he was partly inspired by having received an AirDrop from somebody who was watching him in real life. Clearly, Drop is a movie that benefits from its actors relying on lived experience. Scheduling them in a way that kept them in constant uncertainty when the script was asking them to portray the same was one of the smartest decisions Blumhouse could have made.
Sources: The Boston Globe, Rotten Tomatoes
