Absurdly Real: “Drop” and the Paranoia of Being Online
Written by Ananya Panchal. Graphic by Ananya Panchal.
“Drop” is another addition to the multiverse of thriller movies that speak on the paranoias of an increasingly online world—with the likes of movies such as “Y2K,” “Spree” or “Megan.” It is an inventive and ironically humorous movie that unexpectedly straddles the line between horror and comedy.
“Drop” follows Violet (Meghann Fahy), a widowed mother, on her first date with Henry (Brandon Sklenar) while attempting to find a genuine connection after her intensely traumatic previous marriage. What was supposed to be a fresh start for Violet turns into her worst nightmare. She begins receiving anonymous texts threatening to put her son in danger.
My first point of note for “Drop” is its surprisingly successful integration of the internet and meme culture. There are multiple scenes in the movie where the anonymous harasser sends memes to Violet as a means to instill fear. This is not an easy concept to pull off on screen and would be easy to dismiss it as “cringe-worthy,” but director Christopher Landon makes it work excellently. The theatre was filled with laughter, and not at the movie but rather with it. My row alone was howling at the sheer absurdity of Violet’s situation, and it worked because the movie knew it.
Landon made no effort to make technology a big bad monster, nor did he make it seem like a new, hip Generation Z obsession. It poked fun of the digital age that we live in and used its references to comment on how ridiculous it makes our lives. Adding an absurd realism to the whole concept of the movie and making it all the more scary and funny.
There are not a lot of ways to have your entire movie revolve around a text conversation, and have your audience feel anxious from it the whole time. For starters, there are a limited number of ways to portray the perspective of a text. You want the audience to see the reaction of our victim, Violet, as well as the text itself. Landon solves this creatively by using large display texts that slide in and out of the screen. The text is always in motion, adding to the already disorienting camera angles and quick cuts. It’s a way of showing this digital interaction that adds to the genre of the movie and creates greater visual interest.
Taking away its modern context, “Drop” is a really tight thriller. It has unexpected twists and turns, gripping fights and edging suspense. It’s a good quick watch with a run time of 95 minutes and is guaranteed to keep you entertained.
I’m finding new thriller and horror movies to be an interesting scene to follow, considering how well they translate the fears and concerns of a newer world in a way that is original, refreshing and inventive. It really is a reflection of the society we live in—warts and all. And while we keep making dramatic biopics that glamorize past lives and nostalgic sequels to relive childhood memories, horror and thriller films of today reflect a difficult, more real story. “Drop” does this with surprising charm and ironic optimism.
This was one of the best theater experiences I’ve had in a while. As a frequent movie-watcher at SCAD, the audiences here are pretty lively during film screenings. You can always hear a gasp or laugh, but this was another level. Viewers were nearly screaming during the third act in suspense about what was going to happen. I haven’t had that kind of a communal movie-watching experience in a while. For that alone, I highly recommend “Drop,” especially with a big tub of popcorn and a bigger group of friends.
