A Queda

I really don't have a fear of heights, but this film sure made me realize that I just wasn't high enough to get scared. Co-writer, producer and director Scott Mann did a superb job filming this smart little thriller so well, I got vertigo, dizzy and an upset stomach in some scenes. Don't get me started on my constant anxiety and elevated blood pressure watching this. It's constant edge of your seat moments with great cinematography and special effects, that you'll actually feel like you're stuck up there with them.

The writing was tight and cohesive with excellent character development that helped in the suspenseful scenes. The few twists and turns were well led up-to and perfectly executed, albeit somewhat predictable. The 107 min runtime flew by with the spot-on pacing. Casting and performances were convincing all around.

My biggest issue was the poor sound editing; towards the end, the score is so loud and overbearing, it muffles the actors dialogue. Aside from that and a few plot and technical issues, this is one of the better survival films I've seen in a long time. It's a well deserved 8/10 from me.

How this is technologically impressive is one thing. A worthy combination of computer generated images and the real thing. The soundtrack also does not fail. But that's all the package. What matters the most is what's beneath the surface, the contents. Pain and fear of death making someone rediscover their will to live after a personal tragedy. Also, altering their perception of reality, removing idealism, to be more exact. Also, when things go far enough, the plot may surprise the audience. Of course, there can be criticism. There could probably have been fewer shots with the blinding Sun in them. The heroines could have been a bit more resourceful here and there, and they could have been tested even more. But the action takes place in a hot desert and sunlight is a big problem there. No wander the movie gives it strong emphasis. And in a situation like what the movie has, it is way more difficult to think as clear as possible than, say, at home, in comfort. And as for what the main characters go through, especially with the performances delivered, "Fall" works just fine.

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?.........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

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.

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.