Drop is a 2025 American thriller film starring Meghann Fahy (of White Lotus, Season 2 fame) and Brandon Sklenar (of the Yellowstone spinoff 1923 fame). The central premise for Drop is that a widowed mother, on a first date, starts getting blackmailed and threatened during the date, causing her to question her date and the safety of her loved ones.
The movie opens with a domestic abuse scene which shows Violet Gates, a Chicago based therapist being abused by her ex-husband. As the scene cuts, we are brought back to the present day where Violet is preparing for a date, when she gets startled by a repairman trying to find an entrance for some work he is planning to do. As the evening approaches, her sister comes to babysit Violet’s son as the apprehensive Violet leaves for her date with a Henry Campbell, a photographer, who she has only spoken to online and never met in person. She leaves for a high-end, high-rise restaurant, called Palate (apparently photographers can afford such restaurants).
As Violet waits for Henry to arrive (Potential Red Flag in a date: Never be late on the first date), she meets bartender Cara, pianist Phil, and fellow diners Connor and Richard, who is on a blind date, which goes really badly. 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 (the gayest of gay waiters apparently and annoying to boot). 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 ultimately resulting in the user asking Violet to check her security system.
On the cameras, Violet witnesses a masked gunman knock Jen unconscious and lock Toby in his room. 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.
Though Violet is suspicious of Connor, despite confronting him she is unable to prove he did anything. Unwilling to kill Henry, Violet slips a note to Phil informing him of the hostage situation. Phil collapses shortly afterward and dies from poison while trying to exit the building. The user mocks 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 Richard eventually reveals himself as the person tormenting her.
Richard reveals that he is on the mayor’s payroll and that he 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. A furious Richard attempts to shoot Violet, but Henry pushes her out of the way and is shot instead. A fight ensues, during which Cara is also injured, and Richard orders his henchman to kill Toby and Jen. In the scuffle, the restaurant window shatters, and Violet and Richard fall outside. He plummets to his death while Henry saves Violet. Taking Henry’s car, Violet drives to her house while Jen awakens and fights with the henchman. She and Toby flee upstairs and Jen is shot. Violet arrives at the house and stabs the henchman who overpowers and corners Violet. Toby retrieves the gun, and Violet uses it to shoot the henchman dead, who is revealed to be the repairman from earlier in the movie who visited her home.
Some time later, Violet visits Henry and Jen in the hospital. The mayor has been 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.
The movie keeps the audiences on their toes, trying to guess who the mysterious tormentor is with guesses being Henry, the bartender, Connor, Charles and even the receptionist at the restaurant. In that, it keeps things interesting. Meghann Fahy is committed to her role and does a good job, mixing her fear while keeping her wits about her. Brandon Sklenar is wasted as he doesn’t have much physical action scenes while he just looks pretty and comes dressed as someone who just won a free ticket to a fancy restaurant or someone who just started shooting for this movie right from the set of 1923. The other actors are average as best with the guy who plays the waiter being exceptionally annoying and thus, actually doing his job well. What works for the movie is the performance of the lead actress and the thrill as to who the blackmailer is.
JAY’S VERDICT
Drop is a great movie to watch if you’re looking for an interesting thriller. It isn’t a classic but it’s definitely NOT a let down.
