THE FALL GUY (2024)

Genre: Action
Director: David Leitch
Cast: Ryan Gosling, Emily Blunt, Winston Duke, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Hannah Waddingham, Stephanie Hsu
Runtime: 2 hrs 6 mins
Rating: PG13 (Violence and Some Drug References)
Released By: UIP
Official Website:

Opening Day: 25 April 2024

Synopsis: He's a stuntman, and like everyone in the stunt community, he gets blown up, shot, crashed, thrown through windows and dropped from the highest of heights, all for our entertainment. And now, fresh off an almost career-ending accident, this working-class hero has to track down a missing movie star, solve a conspiracy and try to win back the love of his life while still doing his day job. What could possibly go right? From real life stunt man and director David Leitch, the blockbuster director of Bullet Train, Deadpool 2, Atomic Blonde and Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw and the producer of John Wick, Nobody and Violent Night, comes his most personal film yet. A new hilarious, hard-driving, all-star apex-action thriller and love letter to action movies and the hard-working and under-appreciated crew of people who make them: The Fall Guy. Oscar(r) nominee Ryan Gosling (Barbie, La La Land, Drive) stars as Colt Seavers, a battle-scarred stuntman who, having left the business a year earlier to focus on both his physical and mental health, is drafted back into service when the star of a mega-budget studio movie-being directed by his ex, Jody Moreno, played by Golden Globe winner Emily Blunt (Oppenheimer, A Quiet Place films, Sicario)-goes missing. While the film's ruthless producer (Emmy winner Hannah Waddingham; Ted Lasso), maneuvers to keep the disappearance of star Tom Ryder (Golden Globe winner Aaron Taylor-Johnson; Bullet Train) a secret from the studio and the media, Colt performs the film's most outrageous stunts while trying (with limited success) to charm his way back into Jody's good graces. But as the mystery around the missing star deepens, Colt will find himself ensnared in a sinister, criminal plot that will push him to the edge of a fall more dangerous than any stunt.

Movie Review:

It was one year ago when the world was hit by the cultural phenomenon that was Barbeheimer. The buzz that preceded and surrounded the simultaneous theatrical release of Greta Gerwig’s Barbie and Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer resulted in countless memes, as well as unofficial merchandise and memorabilia. One movie that hitched on the ride was David Leitch’s action comedy movie starring Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt, who were also in the two biggest films of 2023.

After making viewers laugh (some even shed a few heartfelt tears) as Ken, Gosling continues to make full use of his charm to play stunt performer Colt Seavers, who is the guy who has been taking the fall for a celebrity named Tom Ryder (a deliciously menacing Aaron Taylor-Johnson) on the big screen for all his Hollywood movies. Then we have Blunt, whose Oscar nominated performance in Oppenheimer made people realise her penchant for handling dramatic roles, playing the other lead character named Jody Moreno. She is a camera operator who has big dreams of being a movie director.

When we first meet Colt and Jody, they are a cute couple flirting on text. When an accident happens on set which made Colt severely injured, he decides to disappear and become a valet in a small town restaurant. After 18 months, Jody becomes a director and it working on her first film. She is backed by executive producer Gail Meyer, and you can tell that she has something up her sleeve just because she is played Hannah Waddingham, who is known for her performance in TV series Ted Lasso.

Colt is approached by Gail, who claims that Jody asked for him to to be part of her sci fi action blockbuster. He sees this as an opportunity to get back with Jody but when he arrives on set in Australia, he learns that Jody never requested for him as a stunt performer. Then he finds himself involved in rowdy fights and somewhere in the mess there is a dead body in a bathtub.

This is when the 126 movie picks up pace and we love every minute seeing the action sequences on the IMAX screen where the movie preview was held. There are fist fights, car crashes and epic explosions which clearly show that the movie is a tribute to the stunt performers who have been a key element of showbiz. Watch out for a sequence where Jody directs a scene from her movie, and you’ll experience a Guinness World Record breaking moment for the most cannon rolls performed in a car. We also enjoy the film references made throughout the movie, and fans would smile at how Drew Pearce’s writing incorporated memorable moments from titles like Thelma & Louise (1991), The Last of the Mohicans (1992) and The Fugitive (1993).

The movie also works thanks to the undeniable chemistry between Gosling and Blunt. Leveraging the Barbeheimer phenomenon, the two celebrities appeared at the Academy Awards and Saturday Night Live, and seeing them now as a couple in the movie is like finally seeing the reunion of two people who have been kept apart. The movie has many entertaining scenes which feature Gosling and Blunt just talking to each other. One involves repeated takes of a fire stunt, while the other makes use of split screens. While they may not be entirely crucial to the movie, you go along for the ride because of the very enjoyable time spent with the stars. 

Movie Rating:

(A love letter to stunt performers, this entertaining and action-packed popcorn movie also shines because we get to see Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt falling in love amidst epic car chases and loud explosions)

Review by John Li