FALL: Finds Its Fight

There is a certain catharsis achieved while watching someone fight to survive. The full dedication of mind, body and soul in the face of death and annihilation proving that hope never dies and that even the seemingly impossible can be overcome. That by watching characters on screen fight against all odds, we as an audience communally experience the sense of survival and a change in our daily perspectives. Cinema preys on this carnal form of catharsis, churning out survivalist film after survivalist. Sharks and boulders, fiction and nonfiction – the possibilities are endless.

Yet the success of these films is not infinite. Too often, they fall into the predictable tropes of the Hollywood survivalist formula. The dire challenge is presented, obstacles are delivered in rapid succession and eventually an outcome is realized. Yet, every once in a while, one of these survivalist films is executed with undeniable success, toying with its audiences emotions in both a visual and even physical form. Scott Mann’s Fall is the latest to break free of the formulaic approach, delivering a solid survivalist film that will have even the bravest squirming in their seats.

A Routine Start

I must admit, I did not have high expectations for Fall. After seeing the trailer, I felt a bit cheated as a potential audience member, the trailer playing out as a massive reveal of the survivalist form that was to unfold. This feeling is reinforced as Fall begins, a young couple climbing the cliff side of a mountain, their gear precariously threatening to give at any moment. As Becky (Grace Caroline Currey) and Dan (Mason Gooding) work steadily to reach the top, their friend Hunter (Virginia Gardner) is shown as a free fall climber presenting each character’s approach to both caution and adrenaline. There is a formulaic approach to the opening that takes away an early intrigue or tension. As the trailer has already shown us, Dan falls in a horrific accident, the two women left behind with their grief.

As the film transitions from its opening scene, Fall embraces more of the survivalist trope, leaning into Becky’s grief and inability to move forward. As her father James (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) tries desperately to reach her, Fall crafts the various character’s need for redemption – the need for the will to live. Unfortunately, the reintroduction of Hunter feels less like a means to bring Becky back, and more like a means to accelerate the story. As she was called by James in an attempt to reach Becky, Hunter presents the initial challenge that will throw the core of the film in motion. As she persuades Becky to join her on an epic climb of the fourth tallest structure in the country, pitching the chance for and releasing Dan’s ashes, Fall begins to lean away from the formulaic tropes, proving along the way it has a few surprises hidden up its sleeve.

Voyeurism of an Audience

As viewers watch Becky and Hunter make their way to and up the tower, Fall takes on the feeling of Final Destination. There is a sense of death all around them as they make their way to the tower, the Final Destination mood feeling as though Death has been cheated before, emulating the feeling of survivor’s guilt that resonates within each of the women. As they make it up the ladder, extreme close-up shots of the rungs, bolts, and rust further heighten this sense of a looming disaster – especially as they reach the opening of the tower before their final climb.

Fall is not afraid to make its audience squirm in their seats. While there is the deeply crafted sense of dread and looming death, there is also the vastness that encompasses them. As they climb up the tower, the editing and camera begin to scale outward, taking in not only the women but the dessert surrounding them and the sky engulfing them. The camera is unafraid to look down, up, and all around, with extremely wide shots taking in the entire landscape, the height of the tower and the danger one false move can cause.

And it is not just the shots during and after the climb that will give the uneasiness of height and falling. As the film progresses, it embraces the voyeurism of the audience, giving us close-up views through binoculars, phones, and even drone footage, making up both parts of the film, yet witnessing all the same. Fall truly excels in the idea of voyeurism in its audience through its tactful use of iris shots that force us to be unwilling participants, heightening the tension and limiting the vast perspective we know they are trapped within. Where Fall frequently embraces the landscape, its cinematography further elevates the film, and the changing perspective of the lens delivers a fluctuating cinematic experience for its audience as well.

The Adrenaline of Social Media

Yet, the iris shots do not only speak to voyeurism as unwilling witnesses but also as willing. Social media is a deeply integrated element, one that speaks to its own dire situations and adrenaline rush. The iris shots here limit what we see, failing to truly give the full picture and the true nature of the situation the girls find themselves in.  Beyond the iris shot, there is cathartic adrenaline achieved in watching those do what we ourselves can not. We live vicariously through the adventures and even mishaps of others – our “likes” and “comments” propelling an algorithm forward. Though, it is not only true within the audience that consumes it.

So much of Hunter works around the projection of Dangerous D. Through her social media presence, she is able to fund her adventures, sharing each and every tidbit along the way. Yet, Fall alludes that it is not just the money that keeps her blogging. As Becky points out the need for “likes”, audiences watch both Becky and Hunter strive for the perfect shot, pushing both body and mind further than ever before. And while “adrenaline junkies” are not new, the psychological motivation of “likes” and “comments” becomes a catalyst never before seen.

Conclusion

Fall also builds on its characters, taking the idea of trust, love, redemption, and the will to survive to new heights. And if you find yourself asking how the film will fill its 107-minute runtime, believe me, it does. And just when you think Fall can not push the envelope any farther, it proves the twists and turns of the survivalist genre have yet to meet their limit.

Have you seen Fall? What did you think? Let us know in the comments below!

Fall was released in theaters on August 12, 2022!

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