The Most Honest Review of The Fall Guy
During a monotonous, stale-aired day in the office, I received an email from a name I did not recognize. The title read: You Are Invited To An Exclusive Premiere of The Fall Guy. I skimmed the body of the email, where the words “with Ryan Gosling” and “bring a plus one” stuck out in bold - and I knew then an incredible date night was in store. How the message landed in my inbox remains a mystery for a number of reasons (I am certainly not an influencer), but if I am one thing - it is a lady with opinions. Perhaps this might be the most honest review of The Fall Guy on the internet, given it wasn’t even a political decision to add me to the guest list. It was purely accidental, and by nature, it was only right to create an accidental review, too. You know, Newton’s law and balance and all that.
It is inarguable that 2023 was Ryan Gosling’s year. The seasoned, award-winning actor continued to stay in the spotlight with high-grossing Barbie, and the momentum continues into this new year with Barbie’s respective awards. The same reasoning can be applied to Oppenheimer’s Emily Blunt, and it was an incredibly strategic move to place the two stars from the most popular movies of 2023 as star-crossed lovers in The Fall Guy.
Despite the trailer of explosions and grittiness, The Fall Guy is equally an action film as it is a romance. In fact, the film is essentially a love letter dedicated to Hollywood’s stunt doubles, a member of the cast and crew whose role is incredibly under-recognized. Gosling plays Colt Seavers, a stuntman for ‘Tom Ryder,’ an ultra-famous movie star. On set, Colt is introduced to Jody Moreno, Emily Blunt’s character, a camera-woman turned first-time director. The two have a tumultuous relationship, largely due to Gosling’s character suffering depression after an injury led him out of work and bizarrely, a murder being framed in his name. But despite the chaos, one thing is evident: Colt and Jody’s chemistry is ardent and contains the very energy that Syndey Sweeney’s Anyone But You lacked.
The Fall Guy also features other heavy hitters, like Everything Everywhere All At Once’s Stephanie Hsu as Alma Milan, Ryder's personal assistant. Ted Lasso’s Hannah Waddingham plays Gail Meyer, Jody's executive producer, and Black Panther’s Winston Duke takes on Dan Tucker, Colt's best friend and fellow stunt coordinator. It should be noted that while these roles did help drive the story, the most standout performance was from Gosling and Blunt, whose relationship was so endearing the viewer couldn’t help but cheer on.
While the film has all the characteristics of a classic action movie (bombs, death, drama, blood, and speed), it is missing the very common over-sexualized scenes played by women characters. There’s no arbitrary shower shot or 15-minute sex scene that mainly focuses on the woman’s body only and doesn't add to the plot. There’s no nudity at all. Often, it is argued that the over-sexualization of women in romantic scenarios is completely necessary for the character’s storylines - I disagree, and The Fall Guy proves a romantic story can be told without the traditional fluff of the industry.
But, here’s the bottom line: How did I feel about the movie I didn’t ask to see in the first place? It is safe to say The Fall Guy is an entertaining, love-filled hit that respectfully pays homage to unsung heroes: stunt doubles. To me, it is the perfect film for a family movie night because it is so genre-bending. It may go without saying, but it is not the kind of film that leaves you with deep, thought-provoking questions, and I don’t predict it will have the same level of press success as Barbie. However, not every film needs that element of grandeur. Every film does need an attention-grabbing plot, characters you believe in (or completely despise), crafted visuals, and a considered script. The Fall Guy undoubtedly checks the boxes.