Fall: Fear Reaches New Heights

I'd like to point out that I'm a horror buff, have seen probably around 1000 'scary movies', and have never come across anything like this. Give me killers/ghosts/clowns/sharks any day.

I will point out, I do have acrophobia to an extent. I'm fine with rides and roller coasters and things like that, but I start to sweat when I'm near a ledge or out in the open at an elevated level, like a rooftop.

I thought I'd give Fall a go, since I'd be comfortable on my couch...but I was very very wrong.

The imagery in the film is so intense that there were parts where I could only watch 10 to 15 minutes at a time before needing a break because my palms and soles of my feet were incredibly sweaty. It took me forever to actually finish the movie.

The acting is decent, and the story is pretty basic, but I've given the film a rating of 8 because no film has freaked me out as much as Fall did. Not Vertigo, not The Walk, not Skyscraper, not anything.

If you're fine with heights, you may find the movie a bit boring I would assume...but if you aren't fine with them, you're in for a bumpy ride.

Man, I had no clue what I was in for. The idea is simple (two climbers get stuck atop a 2000-foot tower in the middle of the desert) but the viewer experience is complex. It feels so real. It's meant to feel real. "Fall" is an unapologetically distressing tour de force. Buckle up.

My subject line is a bit cheeky, tho. Yes I'm warning you to be careful- particularly if you're acrophobic because, again, this one pulls no punches. It is intense. But it's also a line the climbers say more often than any other. They keep stating the obvious: "Be careful, Hunter!" "Omg Becky, be careful!" And each time restarts your panic cycle anew: "Oh no, what are they in for now?!" Worse, it's hard to prepare for what's coming. Even when you think you're ready, there's no telling how your body will react to what it sees and fears; logic can't always override instinct. In that sense it's not a movie that provides soft landings (pardon the pun). It is full on *trying to spark a physical response.

Not just when the climbers are on the tower either. It employs other tactics as well. Like repeatedly using an establishing shot with a sign that says "No Trespassing. Danger of Death." So even if you start to (somehow) settle in comfortably, the words push you back out to the edge of your seat. The name of the film works the same way: Fall. Would "Climbing the Ladder," "High," "Alone Together" ("Friends in High Places" lol) or something more hopeful/less dramatic not have been enough? Nope. FALL. The filmmakers make no secret of where they want your mind to be.

In the end, subconscious tools work in tandem with vertigo-inducing visuals to create a fully destabilizing experience: Be careful... Danger of death... Fall. You hear it, see it and feel it. I get sweaty palms just typing it out now, and if I watch again I'll need a new strategy because the thrills are not something you get used to. One of the more electrifying movies I've ever seen.

If this movie does one thing well, it's building tension. There was times I was on the edge of my seat, clinched and sweaty, just imagining being up on that tower myself.

This is far from a, what I would call, a "critically good" movie. The visuals aren't top notch, especially in the beginning, but becomes more forgivable after the first scene, some of the dialogue and actions of the characters might make you scratch your head, and there are some major plot points that some might find to be predictable. The ending does feel pretty abrupt and I feel like we missed a couple good scenes on the cutting room floor in favor of run time.

All that being said, if you're a huge fan of survival thriller movies in the vein of 47 Meters Down, Frozen, etc. You would certainly have a good time with this flick. It does an excellent job of keeping you on edge throughout the whole movie, which is quite a feat, and something I haven't felt in a theater in awhile. It certainly has its flaws but it entertains remarkably well.

I kept asking myself why I watched this. It's so scary my hands were very sweaty, I couldn't believe it. Nothing has ever given me that reaction. They did an excellent job of filming for maximum fright effect. Don't watch if you have a weak heart or something. So a 15/10 stars for horror and seven for the whole movie. 600 characters?.........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

I really had no expectations when I decided to watch this movie but aside from some of the usual predictable moments and boneheaded decisions by the two main characters, I actually enjoyed it. For me that was due to a few observations: 1) there were a few small twists in the plot which was a pleasant surprise especially in this type of movie genre and 2) the camera work/cgi effects which looked quite realistic and really gave you a sense of the height with a little vertigo feeling to boot. If you like this type of movie and don't suffer from major vertigo, this one is definitely worth a watch!