[Film Review] Drop

Do you like thrillers that mostly take place in a single setting? How about thrillers where the main character is faced with a crucial dilemma? Ones where an ominous entity gives the protagonist a series of cruel commands? Drop checks all of those boxes. Coming from Christopher Landon, the director of the clever Happy Death Day slasher series, this film is a fun and focused take on a high-concept “What if?” scenario.  

Early on, we meet Violet (Meghann Fahy), a widowed single mother who has arranged a first date with a guy named Henry (Brandon Sklenar), whom she met on a dating app. When they take their table at what we humble folk would call a very fancy restaurant, things get weird. Here’s the gist: She receives a text message that essentially says: “Do what I say or your child gets killed.” From this moment on, she is forced to take tenacious steps in order to spare her child, all while risking looking like the worst date in history. 

Considering the film's incorporation of smartphone apps, memes, and social media-driven lingo, you could definitely call this a first-date thriller for the millennial generation. Its tech-savvy spin feels fitting for the times. The narrative sparks plenty of intrigue from the get-go, and it’ll make you want to stick around to know what happens next, who exactly is behind this sinister scheme, and how it will all turn out in the end. 

The plot escalates in an effectively suspenseful way, and the overall vibe of this outing is uncomfortable, awkward, and dangerous all at once — to the point where it might have you squirming in your own seat. With each message sent, the stakes are upped. Let’s just say that the wine isn’t the only red that is spilled here. And as you’d expect, the evening’s dessert is topped off with some big twists. 

One thing you can definitely say about this date: It’s never boring. So here’s a toast to Drop. 

( 7.5/10 )

[Film Review] Sinners

The word “Badass” is thrown around a lot when it comes to films, but writer/director Ryan Coogler’s Sinners resoundingly earns the honor. Part blockbuster with the blues, part pulpy vampire flick, and part shoot-em up showdown, this genre remix emphatically stomps to its own beat. 

It’s set during the Jim Crow South in Clarksdale, Mississippi, and the story takes place over the course of one day, one dusk, one evening, and a dawn. Michael B. Jordan plays a pair of twin brothers named Smoke & Stack, and the two roll into town like a hurricane of sharp suits, gold teeth, and shady business deals. With their entrepreneurial aspirations on full display, they buy a sawmill and flip it into a juke joint meant for showcasing the talent of local musicians. The club’s grand opening turns out to be a party for the ages. 

And by “a party for the ages”, I really mean a party for the ages. One of the film’s most awe-inspiring sequences is a musical montage on the dance floor that conjures up the spiritual evolution of black music and culture, bridging the past, the present, and the future in such a surreal and creative way. It’s a moment where I knew I was witnessing something truly extraordinary. Oh, and did I mention that there are vampires lurking about?

The blood-sucking narrative turn can feel jarring, but that’s the point. The film’s mashup of genres is most reminiscent of HBO’s "Lovecraft Country", where American history bleeds into horror and the supernatural. What unfolds is a tale of paranoia and survival—an old-fashioned “Avoid getting bit at all costs” saga.

Sinners is certainly elevated by its all-around technical craft. The camera work is graceful, the script is full of quotable lines, and the score and music-driven scenes are lively and soulful. The film is just as much of an ode to music as it is to cinema itself. Even the editing choices catch a rhythm. Michael B. Jordan is such a great screen presence here, and Jack O’Connell delivers a fully game performance as the story’s bloodthirsty antagonist, while also partaking in a lovely rendition of the Scottish folk song, “Wild Mountain Thyme.”

From Ryan Coogler’s early indie beginnings with Fruitvale Station, to the franchise fare of Creed and Black Panther, his films always wear a sense of palpable passion on their sleeves, and Sinners continues on with that tradition. He takes a huge risk here, and the gamble pays off big time. 

* 9/10 *

An alternate version of this review is slated to appear in the August 2025 edition of St. Paul's Community Reporter newspaper.