First dates are nerve-wracking enough. Going on a first date while an unnamed, unseen troll pings you personal memes that escalate from annoying to homicidal? Blood-chilling. – synopsis via Universal Studios
Christopher Landon directs DROP and he is best known for the HAPPY DEATH DAY films and FREAKY. He has done horror films and he’s taken that knowledge to make this thriller. I have to say that I love this film. It reminds me of a Hitchcock movie, and after viewing the bonus features, I discovered that the director agrees with me.
The basic idea is that this is a one-room film and creates suspicion in every patron in the restaurant. Take that, add all of the various filming techniques plus the well-chosen lighting and you get a movie like REAR WINDOW.
Cast via Wikipedia
Meghann Fahy as Violet Gates, a widowed single mother
Brandon Sklenar as Henry Campbell, Violet’s date
Violett Beane as Jen Gates, Violet’s younger sister and babysitter of her son
Jacob Robinson as Toby Gates, 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
VIDEO QUALITY 4.5/5
The video is a 2160p HEVC presentation with Dolby Vision. It begins with images of a flashback that are dark to quickly change to the daytime in Violet’s home with a naturally lit scene to set up the movie. In the restaurant where 85 percent of the movie takes place, the colors are rich and warm. Shimmering gold in the dark atmosphere adds small points of light and this makes it so that there is beautiful shadowing without the contrast fighting the transfer. There were no real signs of the video being murky or muddled. The clarity is remarkable and allows for sharp details. The Dolby Vision does make colors bold like Violet’s dress. The blacks are inky and show no issues that I could see. The skin tones look natural unless the character is too close to a light in the restaurant.
AUDIO QUALITY 4.5/5
The audio is a Dolby Atmos mix or a Dolby TrueHD 7.1 mix depending on your equipment. The score and echos monopolize the object channels. This adds to the atmosphere and it can even make the scene get claustrophobic without any sort of physical change. The cellos and, really, the score in general, are the next layer to add to the thriller. There are a few moments with a hit on the LFEs but the score pushes the bass the hardest. Voices are clear and prioritized.
SUPPLEMENTS & PACKAGING 4/5
-Audio Commentary: with Director Christopher Landon
-A Recipe for Thrills: Making DROP: This 7-minute extra is about how the film came together from inception to completion.
-A Palate for Panic: This looks at the production design and building of The Palate into a realistic, working restaurant.
-Killer Chemistry: This discusses the two leads and their chemistry to make the plot work.
Disc Details
2-Disc Set w/1 4k UHD and 1 Blu-ray
Digital Copy
Slipcover included with the initial release
Running Time
100 mins
Edition Ratings
Rated PG-13
Region Coding
Region Free
4k UHD
Video Resolution
2160p HEVC / H.265
Aspect ratio: 2.39:1
HDR
Dolby Vision
HDR10
Audio Mixes
English Dolby Atmos
English Dolby TrueHD 7.1
Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1
French Dolby Digital Plus 7.1
Subtitles
English SDH
Spanish
French
Blu-ray
Video Resolution
1080p AVC MPEG-4
Aspect ratio: 2.39:1
Audio Mixes
English Dolby Atmos
English Dolby TrueHD 7.1
Subtitles
English SDH
Spanish
French
THE FINAL WORD 5/5
DROP is exactly what we want from the genre. It checks all of the boxes for thriller fans and is persuasive that it might create some. Light is used perfectly to make the shot work for the feeling. I know that movies, well, all movies do this but this does it like it’s under a microscope. As I said, the techniques have been used for years and I love it here. This film is what Hitchcock would make if he were alive and making movies now. Both the audio and video are excellent plus the extras are the right amount for most releases. Make sure if you get the chance, you check them out. The recommendation I’m giving this one is the highest. Do not sleep on this film.
Bad Habit Online 