Blu-ray Review: FALL

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Oct 09, 2022 Posted by Kyle Nolan in DVD/Blu-ray, Reviews | Comments

Becky (Grace Caroline Currey, Shazam!) was a wild, adventurous, outgoing young woman, who enjoyed going rock climbing with her husband and best friend. But after a tragic accident, Becky becomes closed off, drinking, and locking herself away from the rest of the world. With the 1 year anniversary of the event approaching, Becky’s best friend/influencer Hunter (Virginia Gardner, Runaways) returns to convince Becky to join her on another climb, this time a 2000-foot high, abandoned TV tower in the middle of the desert. The plan is to go the top so that Becky can spread the ashes of a loved one and finally move on. However, as the girls ascend the old, rickety and rusty tower, the ladder gives way, leaving them stranded 2000 feet in the air with little-to-no supplies or means of calling for help. With the vultures literally circling, they desperately try to find a way down, or just manage to survive until they can find help.

I first saw Fall in the theater, and I must say that I have never squirmed so much in my seat. I am not a fan of heights, and this film really makes you believe that these two women are trapped on a tiny platform thousands of feet in the air. There are many harrowing shots from the POV of these trapped women who find themselves in a seemingly hopeless situation. Why in the world someone would ever want to climb this tower in the first place is beyond me, but once they’re trapped up there, it becomes an exciting and terrifying experience. I found the movie just as anxiety-inducing (in a good way) the second time around—I was once again clutching my armrest and squirming on my couch. The filmmakers do an excellent job of building the tension and danger, providing some fake-outs and jump scares, as well as some interesting plot twists. There are some seemingly-small things introduced early in the film that pay off later on. At the same time, there is also this emotional storyline that runs through the movie, with Becky trying to overcome her grief and find her strength, belief in herself, and desire to live again.

This film has a very small cast, with much of the movie just being about Becky and Hunter atop this tower. Both actresses do an excellent job of conveying the emotion, fear and love for one another—the characters really feel like they could be lifelong friends. The actresses really deliver on the more physically demanding aspects of these roles. The film also includes brief appearances by Mason Gooding (Love, Victor) as Becky’s husband and Jeffrey Dean Morgan (The Walking Dead) as Becky’s father.

Lionsgate’s Blu-ray release looks and sounds great, with a clean, detailed picture throughout, from the beautiful brown desert setting and bright blue sky, to the more harrowing views from the tower, to the rusty and weathered detail of the tower itself. The effects look amazing, making you really believe that these women are actually 2000 feet up in the air (it was hard to watch at times). The audio track is equally impressive, accentuating every creak of the old, rusty tower, and providing an immersive experience as Becky and Hunter deal with elements such as strong winds and hungry vultures.

Even though there is no physical 4K disc release, the film is available to purchase digitally in 4K, and the digital copy included with the Blu-ray will redeem in 4K via Apple TV. The Blu-ray disc comes packed in an eco-cutout HD keepcase, with an embossed cardboard slipcover, and an insert with redemption instructions for a digital copy of the film. The disc contains a director commentary, music video, and interesting making of featurette.

What’s Included:

Film: (1:47:20)

Blu-ray:

1080p / Widescreen 2.00:1
Audio: English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, English Descriptive Audio
Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish

Digital (Code subject to expiration, may not be valid after 10/18/2023):

Digital Copy redeemable via Apple TV or Vudu (redeems in 4K on Apple, not Movies Anywhere compatible)

Extras:

Audio Commentary (1:47:20)
Producer/co-writer/director Scott Mann and producer James Harris provide an entertaining and informative commentary throughout the film. They share lots of interesting production and behind-the-scenes stories, talking about the casting process, how certain scenes were shot, building the tower, pointing out some continuity errors, production challenges, and more.
Madison Beer “I Have Never Felt So Alive” from the Feature Film FALL (3:25)
Lyric video for Madison Beer’s “I Have Never Felt So Alive” featuring footage from the film, and lyrics popping on the screen timed with the song.
FALL: The Making Of (15:42)
The cast and filmmakers talk about building and filming practically on a 100-foot tower built over a 2000-foot cliff, preparing for the physical aspects of the film, rehearsing on a platform on the ground, doing their own stunts, dealing with the winds and elements, using technology to remove the cursing to get a PG-13 rating and wider audience, and more. Includes behind-the-scenes footage, and interviews with director/writer Scott Mann, producer James Harris, and stars Grace Caroline Currey (“Becky”) & Virginia Gardner (“Hunter”).
Theatrical Trailer (2:28)

Final Thoughts:

My Rating

Film:

Video:

Audio:

Extras:

Highly Recommended

Fall is a terrifying and engaging survival thriller that’ll make you squirm as two friends find themselves trapped 2000 feet in the air on a tiny platform, with seemingly no supplies or ability to call for help. The filmmakers have done an excellent job of transporting the viewer into this harrowing situation to experience the claustrophobia and danger faced by the characters. In addition to following these women just trying to survive, there’s also this interesting and emotional journey for the characters. Lionsgate’s Blu-ray release looks and sounds great, and includes some entertaining bonus material plus a digital copy that can be redeemed in 4K on Apple TV. This release comes highly recommended for anyone who’s willing to put their fear of heights to the test.