Drop (film)

2025 film by Christopher Landon

Drop

Theatrical release poster

Directed by| Christopher Landon
Written by|

* Jillian Jacobs
* Chris Roach

Produced by|

* Michael Bay
* Brad Fuller
* Cameron Fuller
* Jason Blum

Starring|

* Meghann Fahy
* Brandon Sklenar
* Violett Beane
* Jeffery Self

Cinematography| Marc Spicer
Edited by| Ben Baudhuin
Music by| Bear McCreary

Production
companies

* Blumhouse Productions
* Platinum Dunes

Distributed by| Universal Pictures

Release dates

* March 9, 2025 (2025-03-09) (SXSW)
* April 11, 2025 (2025-04-11) (United States)

Running time

| 95 minutes[1]
Country| United States
Language| English
Budget| $11 million[2]
Box office| $28.7 million[3][4]

Drop is a 2025 American mystery thriller film[5] directed by Christopher Landon and written by Jillian Jacobs and Chris Roach. It stars Meghann Fahy, Brandon Sklenar, Violett Beane, and Jeffery Self. In the film, a widowed mother receives threatening messages during her first date in years, which cause her to question her date and fear her safety.

Drop had its premiere at the SXSW on March 9, 2025, and was released in the United States by Universal Pictures on April 11, 2025. The film received generally positive reviews from critics and grossed $28 million worldwide.

## Plot

[edit]

Chicago therapist Violet Gates has begun to start dating again following the death of her abusive husband Blake. Leaving her young son Toby at home in the care of her younger sister Jen, Violet arrives at the high-rise restaurant Palate ready for a date with photographer Henry Campbell, whom she has been talking to via a dating app.

As Violet waits for Henry to arrive, she meets bartender Cara, pianist Phil, and fellow diners Connor and Richard, the latter of which is on a blind date. Violet soon begins to receive "Digi-Drops" from an unknown user, sending memes to Violet that gradually become more threatening. Henry arrives, and the two are seated and served by new waiter Matt. Violet receives more drops, and Henry attempts to help her find out who it is, theorizing it is someone seated in their section of the restaurant. Despite Violet's attempts to ignore the drops, they continue to escalate, eventually culminating in the user asking Violet to check her security system.

On the cameras, Violet witnesses a masked gunman inside her home. Violet is messaged by her tormentor, demanding she not alert anyone or try to leave, otherwise Toby will be killed. Violet realizes the restaurant is bugged and she is being watched via the security cameras. The user instructs Violet to retrieve a camera from Henry's bag and destroy its SD card. Violet obeys and discovers that Henry, who works for the city mayor, has photographed evidence of embezzlement. Henry grows suspicious of Violet's behavior and prepares to leave, but Violet kisses Henry and encourages him to stay, opening up about her trauma from her relationship with Blake. The user then instructs Violet to retrieve a vial of poison from the bathroom and kill Henry.

Suspicious of Connor, Violet confronts him but is unable to prove he did anything. Unwilling to kill Henry, Violet slips a note to Phil informing him of the hostage situation, but Phil collapses shortly afterward and dies from poison while trying to exit the building. The user insults Violet over her failed plan and demands she kill Henry immediately. Violet orders shots and spikes Henry's, but panics as he prepares to drink his and makes a mess trying to stop him. When Henry leaves to clean up, Cara checks on Violet and mentions that Richard has had a similar bad date and has been watching Violet's table all night. Violet visits Richard with the shots and he reveals himself as her tormentor.

Richard reveals he is on the mayor's payroll and plans to assassinate Henry, who intends to testify against the mayor, while pinning the murder on Violet. Henry arrives and drinks the shot in front of them, but as Richard gloats to Violet, she reveals that she actually poisoned Richard's dessert. Richard becomes enraged and attempts to shoot Violet, but Henry pushes her out of the way and is shot instead. A scuffle ensues, during which Cara is also injured, and Richard orders his henchman to kill Toby and Jen as revenge for Violet ruining his plans, but Violet throws a hockey puck at the restaurant window, shattering it and causing Richard to be sucked outside and fall to his death; Violet nearly falls as well, but Henry saves her. Taking Henry's car, Violet drives to her house while Jen awakens and fights with the henchman, before she and Toby flee upstairs, though Jen is shot. Violet arrives at the house and stabs the henchman, who overpowers and corners Violet, but to the henchman's shock, Toby retrieves the gun, and Violet uses it to shoot the henchman dead.

Some time later, Violet visits Henry and Jen in the hospital, while it is revealed that Henry managed to get the mayor exposed for his crimes and is under investigation. Jen sends a drop to prank Violet and Henry before the new couple plans a second date.

## Cast

[edit]

* Meghann Fahy as Violet, a widowed single mother
* Brandon Sklenar as Henry, Violet's date
* Violett Beane as Jen, Violet's younger sister and babysitter of her son
* Jacob Robinson as Toby, Violet's son
* Reed Diamond as Richard, a diner
* Gabrielle Ryan as Cara, the bartender
* Jeffery Self as Matt, the waiter
* Ed Weeks as Phil, the in-house pianist
* Benjamin Pelletier as the masked man
* Travis Nelson as Connor, a diner
* Michael Shea as Blake, Violet's abusive husband

## Production

[edit]

In February 2024, it was announced Drop was in development with Christopher Landon directing after exiting Scream 7, with Jillian Jacobs and Chris Roach writing, and Meghann Fahy as the lead.[6]

In March, Brandon Sklenar joined the cast of the film.[7] In April, Jeffery Self, Gabrielle Ryan Spring,[8] Violett Beane and Jacob Robinson[9] were added to the cast. In May, Ed Weeks rounded out the cast.[10]

Principal photography began in Ireland in late April 2024.[11]

## Release

[edit]

Drop premiered at the South by Southwest Festival on March 9, 2025, and was released theatrically in the United States on April 11, 2025.[12]

### Home media

[edit]

The film was released on VOD on April 29, 2025, and was released on 4K and Blu-ray on June 10, 2025.[13][14] It was released on Peacock on July 11, 2025.[15]

## Reception

[edit]

### Box office

[edit]

As of May 20, 2025[update], Drop has grossed $16.6 million in the United States and Canada, and $11.9 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $28.5 million.[3][4]

In the United States and Canada, Drop was released alongside The Amateur, Warfare, and The King of Kings, and was projected to gross $6–8 million from 3,085 theaters in its opening weekend.[2][16] The film made $3.3 million on its first day, including an estimated $1.14 million from preview screenings throughout the week. It went on to debut to $7.4 million, finishing in fifth.[17][18]

### Critical response

[edit]

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 84% of 212 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 6.6/10. The website's consensus reads: "A Hitchcockian thriller that cleverly utilizes modern technology for its twists and turns, Drop delivers on its pulpy premise while providing a welcome showcase for Meghann Fahy's leading lady chops."[19] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 65 out of 100, based on 37 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.[20] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B" on an A+ to F scale.[17]

Iana Murrey of Empire gave the film a score of 4 stars out of 5, and wrote: "Fahy may be familiar to most from her ability to destroy you with a single look in the Sicily-set season of The White Lotus, and while Drop isn't nearly as subtle, her groundedness is the antidote to the film's silliness."[21] Inverse's Hoai-Tran Bui wrote, "Drop comes from that same group of hypotheticals as [Landon's] greatest hits: What if someone blackmailed you into killing your first date? And the answer is a fun, efficient little thriller."[22] The Guardian's Adrian Horton gave it 4 out of 5 stars, writing, "[Fahy's] dialed-in performance is thankfully matched by an overarching crispness to the proceedings – just enough flourishes, an enjoyable but not unbearable amount of stress, no wasted time, a perfect match of star, script and style."[23]

In a negative review, Odie Henderson of The Boston Globe was less enthusiastic, stating: "The absurd plot twists in Drop might be tolerable if the film weren't so distastefully tethered to domestic violence."[24] James Marsh of the South China Morning Post wrote, "While Drop certainly finds fun in its increasingly ridiculous premise, that playful sense of humour is mostly lacking. Landon plays things straight – or as straight as one can given the film's inherently implausible premise."[25] The Daily Telegraph's Tim Robey gave it 2 stars out of 5, writing, "We've been through so many games like this – in the likes of Phone Booth, Red Eye and the recent Carry-On – which made virtues of their containment. But Drop botches its plot and looks so nastily composited there's no visual pleasure in the exercise."[26]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Drop (15)". BBFC. February 24, 2025. Archived from the original on April 6, 2025. Retrieved April 6, 2025.
2. ^ a b Rubin, Rebecca (April 9, 2025). "Box Office: 'Minecraft' to Steamroll Over Rami Malek's 'Amateur,' Blumhouse Thriller 'Drop'". Variety. Archived from the original on April 12, 2025. Retrieved April 9, 2025.
3. ^ a b "Drop". Box Office Mojo. IMDb. Archived from the original on April 25, 2025. Retrieved July 24, 2025.
4. ^ a b "Drop (2025) – Financial Information". The Numbers. Nash Information Services, LLC. Archived from the original on April 13, 2025. Retrieved July 24, 2025.
5. ^ "Drop". RogerEbert.com. April 9, 2025. Retrieved July 21, 2025.
6. ^ Kroll, Justin (February 23, 2024). "Blumhouse And Platinum Dunes Reunite On Thriller 'Drop' Starring 'White Lotus' Breakout Meghann Fahy; Christopher Landon Directing". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on February 23, 2024. Retrieved May 18, 2024.
7. ^ Kroll, Justin (March 27, 2024). "'1923' Breakout Brandon Sklenar To Co-Star Opposite Meghann Fahy In Christopher Landon's 'Drop' From Platinum Dunes And Blumhouse". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on March 27, 2024. Retrieved May 18, 2024.
8. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (April 24, 2024). "Jeffery Self & Gabrielle Ryan Spring For 'Drop', Christopher Landon's Blumhouse Platinum Dunes Universal Thriller". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on April 24, 2024. Retrieved May 18, 2024.
9. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (April 18, 2024). "Blumhouse & Platinum Dune's Fast-Paced Thriller 'Drop' Sets Violett Beane & Jacob Robinson". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on April 18, 2024. Retrieved May 18, 2024.
10. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (May 13, 2024). "Platinum Dunes & Blumhouse Set Ed Weeks For Christopher Landon's Thriller 'Drop'". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on May 13, 2024. Retrieved May 18, 2024.
11. ^ "Young Irish Tiktok star to make feature film debut". Irish Central. April 19, 2024. Archived from the original on April 19, 2024. Retrieved June 3, 2024.
12. ^ Grobar, Matt (May 16, 2024). "Universal Dates 'Five Nights At Freddy's 2,' 'Woman In The Yard' & 'Drop'; 'The Black Phone', 'M3GAN' Sequels Pushed". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on May 16, 2024. Retrieved May 18, 2024.
13. ^ "Christopher Landon's DROP Comes To Digital Tomorrow". Fangoria. April 28, 2025. Archived from the original on April 28, 2025. Retrieved April 28, 2025.
14. ^ "'Drop' Comes to Digital, But When Will the 'Drop' 2025 Horror Movie Be Streaming on Peacock? | Decider". April 28, 2025. Archived from the original on April 28, 2025. Retrieved April 29, 2025.
15. ^ Bullard, Benjamin (July 1, 2025). "New on Peacock in July 2025: Poker Face, Drop, Twisted Metal, Love Island & More". NBC. Retrieved July 1, 2025.
16. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (April 9, 2025). "'A Minecraft Movie' Posts Fourth-Biggest Tuesday In April, Will Stack $65M+ In Second Weekend – Box Office Preview". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on April 10, 2025. Retrieved April 10, 2025.
17. ^ a b D'Alessandro, Anthony (April 13, 2025). "Minecraft Crows $80M Second Weekend; King Of Kings Hits The Hallelujah With $19M+ Opening Record For Animated Biblical Pic – Sunday Update". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on April 11, 2025. Retrieved April 13, 2025.
18. ^ "Domestic 2025 Weekend 15". Box Office Mojo. Archived from the original on April 12, 2025. Retrieved April 18, 2025.
19. ^ "Drop". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Archived from the original on April 12, 2025. Retrieved May 12, 2025.
20. ^ "Drop". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Archived from the original on April 6, 2025. Retrieved April 18, 2025.
21. ^ "Drop". Empire. April 9, 2025. Archived from the original on April 10, 2025. Retrieved April 14, 2025.
22. ^ Bui, Hoai-Tran (March 10, 2025). "'Drop' Makes The Most Of Its Barebones Premise". Inverse. Archived from the original on March 10, 2025. Retrieved April 18, 2025.
23. ^ Horton, Adrian (March 10, 2025). "Drop review – a standout from White Lotus excels in tight first date thriller". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on March 10, 2025. Retrieved April 18, 2025.
24. ^ Henderson, Odie (April 9, 2025). "This thriller is bad to the last 'Drop' - The Boston Globe". The Boston Globe. Archived from the original on April 11, 2025. Retrieved April 14, 2025.
25. ^ Marsh, James (April 9, 2025). "Review | Drop: date night dilemma in Happy Death Day director's new thriller". South China Morning Post. Archived from the original on April 9, 2025. Retrieved April 18, 2025.
26. ^ Robey, Tim (April 10, 2025). "Drop: a White Lotus star's first-date thriller is like the dumbest ever episode of Black Mirror". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Archived from the original on April 10, 2025. Retrieved April 18, 2025.

## External links

[edit]

* Official website
* Drop at IMDb

* v
* t
* e

Films directed by Christopher Landon

* Burning Palms (2010)
* Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones (2014)
* Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse  (2015)
* Happy Death Day (2017)
* Happy Death Day 2U (2019)
* Freaky (2020)
* We Have a Ghost (2023)
* Drop (2025)

* v
* t
* e

Platinum Dunes

* Michael Bay
* Brad Fuller
* Andrew Form

Films|

| 2000s|

* The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003)
* The Amityville Horror (2005)
* The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning (2006)
* The Hitcher (2007)
* The Unborn (2009)
* Friday the 13th (2009)
* Horsemen (2009)

|

2010s|

* A Nightmare on Elm Street (2010)
* The Purge (2013)
* The Purge: Anarchy (2014)
* Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2014)
* Ouija (2014)
* Project Almanac (2015)
* Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows (2016)
* The Purge: Election Year (2016)
* Ouija: Origin of Evil (2016)
* A Quiet Place (2018)
* The First Purge (2018)

2020s|

* Songbird (2020)
* A Quiet Place Part II (2020)
* The Forever Purge (2021)
* A Quiet Place: Day One (2024)
* Apartment 7A (2024)
* Drop (2025)

TV series|

* Black Sails (2014–17)
* The Last Ship (2014–18)
* Billion Dollar Wreck (2016)
* Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan (2018–23)
* The Purge (2018–19)

Related|

* Fully Formed Entertainment

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