Survival thriller is the safest way to vicariously experience impossible situations contained in a singular environment we likely won't experience or put ourselves in. While suspension of disbelief is generally required, everything must come together to paint a dire picture that is plausible enough. And that we would still root for the protagonists, even though they have made, more likely than not, sheer reckless choices that put themselves in such peril.
Along the lines of "47 Meters Down" and "The Shallows," "Fall" does just that. After witnessing the death of her husband during a rock-climbing expedition together, Becky (Grace Caroline Currey), an expert climber herself, continues to drown in sorrow and despair nearly a year later.
Her best friend, Hunter (Virginia Gardner), also a climber, persuades her to join her on a crazy stunt, climbing a 2,000-foot high (almost twice the height of the Eiffel Tower) communication tower located on a desolate desert area, to get her out of the funk. This relic used to be the tallest structure in the United States.
Hunter, a daredevil, is now active on social media and also more motivated to pull this off as a way to gain more popularity and monetize her Instagram. Reluctant and anxiety-ridden, Becky agrees to join Hunter to help confront her fears and move on from her past. Becky plans to scatter Dan's ashes from the top of the tower.
For 1,800 feet, the ladders are inside the center of the tower. The ladders for the remaining 200 feet are outside of the tower. All the red flags are there as Becky and Hunter climb up the creaky tower. Loose bolts and rusty ladders often shaken by whipping winds. Each grip or step is felt, and a misstep could mean a grave injury, free fall or instant death.
After the exhilaration of reaching the top of the tower and posing selfies, Becky and Hunter realize the danger they're in when the ladders break away and collapse. They're stranded at terrifying height with no water, no food, no cell reception, no drone, no way to get down or reach anyone. The bag with a bit of supplies is stuck atop of a dish antenna further down the tower after an incident.
The obstacles are aplenty. Fatigue, falling asleep, starvation, dehydration, with vultures circling and hallucination sets in. The duo must rely on their resourcefulness, resilience and will to survive to keep themselves alive, overcoming failed attempts and false hopes, and battling harsh elements.
Becky and Hunter try out maneuvers; climbing, dropping, dangling and swinging. They 'MacGvyer-ed' the minimal stuff they have, using various tricks to get a message to the ground for help. Being stuck together with nothing else to do also reveals certain things and test their friendship.
The acting and makeup match the state of fear and desperation and exposure to the elements of being trapped with no way out. The scenes are filmed and executed exceptionally, from the closeups to wide angles and aerial shots of the needle tower and human silhouettes under the open skies, blistering sun and wind gust, high above the desert ground.
The jump scares are par for the course. One twist could be seen a mile away, but the other twist, even though I sensed something was off earlier, injects more of a surprisingly horror factor. It’s unthinkably survival of the fittest.
For the most part, the scenes are so believable the sensations felt real. I constantly held my breath, had knots in my stomach, clenched my muscles, and had to look away from time to time. The visceral reactions are more than "The Walk" movie, which I adored.
Minimalist “Fall” rises up to the tension-filled challenge and unsettlingly succeeds.