Fall (2022)

In an attempt to rekindle their friendship, two young women climb a 2,000-foot radio tower, where they get trapped.

The daring opening sequence that will get you excited will be immediately followed by clichés that could have been easily avoided. By cutting to the bar, closing up to the whisky glass, and, over sombre music, explaining the emotions that are simultaneously shown, the filmmakers miscalculate already the audience’s intelligence. Not a good start, admittedly. What’s done right after that is the tower’s build-up. The editing’s pace and rhythm warn you that this is a beyond-expression bad idea, but if they hadn’t gone for it, the film wouldn’t have been made, and we wouldn’t be talking about it.

So, the main sequence, the tower’s climbing and reaching the top… is absolutely terrifying! From the comfort of my chair, I could not breathe, so I can’t even begin to imagine how it would be if one were actually up there. And when calamity strikes, it gets even worse. You’ll probably start experiencing shortness of breath and vertigo because producer/co-writer/director Scott Mann utilises these scenes beautifully – or should I say fearfully? Even just standing or sitting at this height cuts most people’s breath short, never mind moving around, looking down, and hanging by it. I could barely sit still on my chair. Anyway, how much better does it get after that? Well, while the story remains intense – primarily due to the height they are at and the efforts they put to find a solution – the dialogues don’t get much better. The subplot does not really help the story’s advancement. Be it as it may, shortness of breath and vertigo persist till the very end of the second act.

Overall, Hunter’s idea was stupid and selfishly she dragged with her Becky, someone who hadn’t climbed in a year, due to climbing lost her boyfriend, is currently self-destructive and depressed, and, consequently, is in a horrible physical condition (even though due to Hollywood reasons she still looks fit). And more stupidly, when they get up there, she asks her to do something even more stupid by telling her: “The old Becky would have done it”. Do I need to mention that they decided to climb an over 2000-foot tower of rusty and unstable metal with so much skin out? What can I say…

P.S. While the B67 TV tower doesn’t exist, it is based on a radio tower of similar height that people have been using for climbing and jumping off with a parachute.

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