Drop is an Absurdly Entertaining Thriller

Drop

★ ★ ★

There are a lot of things in Drop that defy logic and reason. Really, you’ll have to turn your brain off and just enjoy the ride. Fortunately, excellent acting, a well-paced script and solid directing help you do exactly that.

Violet (Meghann Fahy) is on her first date in more than 10 years. It’s taken her quite a while to rejoin the dating scene since her horrifying, abusive marriage ended. She’s also a single mom, and her toddler son Toby was witness to the marriage violence. Naturally, Violet’s psychological defenses are up.

Tonight she’s on a first date with Henry (Brandon Sklenar), leaving her sister Jen (Violett Beane) to watch Toby (Jacob Robinson). Most of the film will take place in the fictional fine dining restaurant, Palate. It’s a nice place on the top floor of a skyscraper.

The date starts well, and Henry seems like a nice guy. Everything takes a turn when someone inside the restaurant sends Violet a “drop,” which is a type of text and photo game where someone can send anyone a message within 50 feet. Violet declines the drops that come her way, especially as they become more threatening. When a drop shows a masked man on one of her home security cameras, all bets are off, and Violet must do what the messages say or her son and sister will die.

It’s a little preposterous, but it serves the plot well. It locks Violet in the restaurant with no clue as to who’s behind the drops, and no apparent way to keep her family alive without obeying the messages. Violet will be put to the ultimate test when she’s told to poison Henry’s drink.

Meghann Fahy as Violet
© 2025 Universal Pictures

Henry is a very patient, even tempered man. He puts up with a lot of shenanigans for a first date. We know Violet’s erratic behavior, at the bidding of the drops, doesn’t reflect her character. Still, Henry’s either a really great guy, or he’s really hard up.

Even at the film’s most preposterous moments, it’s still a fun, entertaining thrill ride. Absurd plot points still nudge you to the edge of your seat, because the film does a good job of stretching the tension.

Mostly, it works because we want to see Violet and Henry get out of this mess and have the first date they both deserve. The characters are well written, the dialogue well crafted and the relationship built between them is the backbone of the story. It’s not a perfect film. But it’s a fun little thriller.

Drop is a good time at the movies. But if your after-movie dinner reservations are for a place called Palate at the top of a big-city skyscraper, you might dine elsewhere.