The Fall Guy is the story of Colt Seavers (Ryan Gosling), a charming stunt performer. Seavers’ most high-profile position is doubling for superstar actor Tom Ryder (Aaron Taylor-Johnson). When Ryder goes missing, producer Gail Meyer (Hannah Waddingham) calls upon Colt to join the movie crew. The movie Ryder was currently working on is the first feature film for Jody Moreno (Emily Blunt), who happens to be Colt’s ex-girlfriend. If Ryder isn’t found and brought back to finish up his scenes, the film will ultimately fail, crippling Moreno’s career. While reluctant, Colt decides to play both stuntman and detective as he hunts down Ryder and tries to salvage Moreno’s film.
What works in The Fall Guy is the chaotic energy that entertains from beginning to end. Director (and former stunt double) David Leitch (Deadpool 2, Bullet Train) masterfully combines genres to create a romantic comedy action noir brimming with heart, humor, and spectacle. All parties involved seem to be having an absolute blast (pun intended) as the shenanigans get crazier and more absurd. Of particular note, as one might expect, are the incredible stunts. Chris O’Hara (John Wick, Jurassic World) receives credit as the film’s Stunt Designer—a first in hopefully a new trend where the artistic nature of choreographed action sequences receives recognition. All this is to say that the audio and visual elements of The Fall Guy are absolutely fantastic and justify a big screen experience.
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Audiences seeking a straight-forward narrative may not enjoy The Fall Guy as much as others. As engaging as the film is, for some it may feel slightly convoluted. Leitch crams so many ideas into The Fall Guy, it occasionally comes across as jumbled. It’s possible that the removal of one or two twists could have made for a smoother experience. Furthermore, the plot mostly feels like it exists to thread the thrills together. One wonders if Leitch conjured up some epic ideas for explosive moments and figured out how to connect them later as a secondary measure. As such, The Fall Guy may feel slightly exhausting as people bounce between the high intensity moments, and trying to follow what exactly is going on with the main characters.
The Fall Guy is high-octane fun from start to finish. Cinephiles will especially enjoy a plethora of references and meta-humor related to the world of filmmaking. While it may contain one too many ingredients, The Fall Guy is still a delicious treat thanks to charismatic performances and well-crafted action. Highly recommended.
Recommended if you enjoyed: Bullet Train, The Nice Guys, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang
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