B Movies Blog

Hello, Movie Mavens! Welcome back to the B Movies Blog. Today, we’re popping Drop into the ol’ VCR.

CW/TW: DV, SI, depiction of su*c*d*, child ab*s*/violence, and all like topics. 

When the trailer for Drop first…dropped, I had a sneaking suspicion that there was more to it. 

And it turns out I was right. 

Before we dive in, though, I need to address a couple of things. 

First and foremost, I’m not a survivor of DV. 

I grew up in a house with DV, and I watched what my mother endured at the hands of my father. 

While he was emotionally and verbally abusive to me, I never experienced his physical abuse. 

I’m giving this context because while I think the portrayal of DV is accurate, I’m not a survivor myself, and I don’t want to speak for those who are; my opinion is based on things I witnessed and accounts from my mother. 

Secondly, I don’t think Drop is a perfect movie. 

There are moments of levity and camp that might be seen as taking away from the message, and it’s not my place to debate that. There are things I found funny, but at the same time, I also understand how it could be seen as taking away from the message. 

Thirdly, I’m going to try to stay as spoiler-free as possible, but I do have to reveal what this movie is really about to discuss it, so if you want to go in blind, I’d come back to this one later.  

Finally, take the CWs/TWs seriously for this one. 

Some scenes are hard to watch, especially the opening scene, so, as always, we recommend researching the movie before watching and/or having a trusted person watch it first. 

Alrighty, that should do us for introductions and disclaimers. 

Without further ado, let’s dive in. 

Drop tells the story of Violet (Meghann Fahy), a single mother and survivor of DV, who has decided to start dating again after her abusive husband died by suicide in front of her a few years prior. 

After arriving at the restaurant to meet her date, Henry (Brandon Sklenar), she begins to receive threatening messages and quickly learns that she’s not the victim of a harmless prank, but of something much worse. 

Now, I’ll be the first to tell you that the trailer doesn’t do this movie justice, and I think that’s intentional. 

IMHO, this is a case of marketing a movie one way to get people in the door and then taking that opportunity to share a deeper story. 

Can this strategy be risky? Absolutely. 

Could it be considered irresponsible? Maybe, because those who are triggered by this content are going without a warning. 

Either way, I think the movie itself is effective (in my opinion). 

The opening of Drop depicts Violet crawling away from her abusive late husband as he delivers blow after blow, eventually revealing he has a gun. 

This scene is hard to watch but is important to the plot of the film because we as viewers learn that a) Violet will do anything for her son and b) Violet is incredibly brave and strong, even if she doesn’t know it yet. 

Additionally, the seemingly omnipotent figure who is instructing her throughout the film symbolizes an abuser. 

They tell Violet what to do, threaten/punish her if she doesn’t “follow instructions,” and “reward” her when she does what they want. 

At one point during the film, Violet even visits the National Domestic Violence Hotline’s page to try to chat in for help, and they discourage her from speaking out. 

Violet also insists she’s fine whenever anyone asks her if she needs help, although she’s clearly distraught, representing how those who experience DV often pretend like nothing is wrong and refuse help. 

I also want to talk about the lighting. 

There’s this brilliant technique where a spotlight will be cast on Violet as everything around her is cast into darkness, and I think it’s an excellent way to encompass how those experiencing DV and abuse feel isolated and alone in their experiences. 

I’m going to be honest—I was really impressed by Drop. 

Taking a creepy experience Olivia Sui had* (a name all my Smosh fans will recognize) and turning it into a movie about surviving DV and finding yourself in the aftermath of abuse is incredible. 

*Note: I hate that they’ve reduced Olivia Sui to “Lerner’s girlfriend” here, so please know I’m not condoning it. 

Christopher Landon could’ve opted to keep this as a Red Eye-esque thriller, but instead added in connective tissue of The Invisible Man to really pack a punch. 

I mentioned this earlier, but Drop isn’t perfect. 

There’s also some humor thrown in that some may think taints the overall message, and again, that’s not for me to decide. 

However, in my opinion, I think Drop is a good thriller that’s trying its best to give hope to those who may need it. 

If you or someone you know is experiencing DV, please contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline and know you aren’t alone. 🖤