“Drop” follows Violet, a widowed mother who goes to an upscale restaurant for a first date with Henry. Their pleasant evening turns into a nightmare when she receives phone messages from a mysterious person.

“Drop” dives into the themes of domestic abuse and trauma much deeper than I had expected. It balances genuine emotional moments with over-the-top horror and thrills. While these clash at times, the film interchanges them quite effectively.

A Deeply Layered Lead

Because of the depth in which these themes are explored, Violet is an extremely multi-layered character. The majority of the flick is told from her perspective, allowing the viewer to step into her shoes. By placing her in such a uniquely disturbing situation, all of her past experiences come back to haunt her. This results in effective character development throughout the 100-minute runtime.

Meghann Fahy carries the movie with a phenomenal performance. Her character goes through the entire range of emotions — confused, angry, afraid and scarred. Fahy carries all this weight through her dialogue and mannerisms. Brandon Sklenar is also great as Henry. He plays an important role and bounces off Violet’s personality well. Other standout performances come from Jeffery Self as Matt and Reed Diamond as Richard.

Visual Style and Storytelling

Alongside the script, the film has its own style. Creative camerawork is prevalent in many of the action-packed moments, putting the audience inside the thrills. The flick also has an interesting way of showing Violet’s text messages. This keeps “Drop” visually appealing rather than filming her phone screen for the entire movie.

Absurdity Pays Off

“Drop’s” biggest fault is how much it asks the audience to suspend disbelief. First dates are a universal experience, and… any person other than Henry would have left. Other movies stretch plausibility, but “Drop” takes this to a whole other level.

Despite this, it becomes worth it by the time “Drop” reaches its final act. The absurdity may make or break the movie for some, but I was on board. There is plenty of payoff, with callbacks, well-shot action and semi-surprising reveals. The last 30 minutes are nonstop chaos, and “Drop” is all the better for it.

“Drop” is a much more impactful journey than I had anticipated. It features a lead character with real depth that plays into the story as a whole. While the film may stretch reality at times, the complete picture is engaging, thrilling and most of all entertaining.

Rating: 4 out of 5