The Fall Guy
I’m going to be a hundred percent honest: you put a Journey song in a trailer and I am there. I will absolutely judge a book by its cover. Sometimes that strategy works out well, sometimes not so much. In the case of 2024’s The Fall Guy? It worked out so, so good.
The Fall Guy follows Ryan Gosling’s out-of-luck, out-of-work stuntman “Colt Seavers” trying to find the star of sci-fi epic, Metalstorm, which just so happens to be directed by his ex-girlfriend “Jody Moreno” (played by Emily Blunt).
To start, Ryan Gosling as Colt Seavers is charming as ever and so much fun to watch absolutely throwing himself into the role (and oncoming traffic). Emily Blunt as rookie director Jody Moreno is perfect. Blunt plays her confident yet nervous underneath about so much riding on her shoulders. Hannah Waddingham as “Gail Meyer,” the scheming producer, and Aaron Taylor-Johnson as “Tom Ryder,” the narcissistic star, are the perfect chaotic duo.
The Fall Guy was directed by an actual stuntman himself, David Leitch, who doubled for Brad Pitt and Matt Damon once upon a time (not to mention he directed Atomic Blonde (2017), Deadpool 2 (2018), and Hobbs & Shaw (2019)). It’s very evident that his background in stunts lead to a deep love of the movie’s characters, the behind-the-scenes crew who don’t get the attention they deserve. Plus, having someone so well-versed in stunts means you get some pretty fantastic action scenes.
Because, oh my gosh. The amount of explosions and fight scenes and that time they hit Ryan Gosling (Ryan Gosling’s stunt double ;) with a car is chef’s kiss. The care from a director who knows stunts and loves them that went into the fight scenes’ choreography shows through. It felt like nearly every scene had some type of creative action, whether stunt or explosion or fight, and it never got boring or overdone with fun cinematography to match. Not to mention, The Fall Guy even opens with an impressive one shot of Seavers walking through set and getting strapped in for a huge stunt.
And I’ll say it: it also has a sweet love story. It’s played parallel to Blunt’s character writing the third act of Metalstorm where a cowboy and an alien fall in love, but don’t know how to make it work with their differences. It may not seem like anything new, but it’s actually a heartwarming look at vulnerability. Stunt guys always give the thumbs up to let you know they’re okay, “You can light me on fire again.” But what happens if you’re not okay? And what if you’re not okay with that?
But what happens if you’re not okay? And what if you’re not okay with that?
Another one of my favorite parts of the movie is how well CGI is blended into it. I don’t mean the CGI itself (although, of that I’m a fan, too); rather, the way it was integrated. So, it’s a movie about the making of another movie. That’s quite fascinating on its own. But take watching some of the behind-the-scenes footage of your favorite action movie, for instance. Honestly, it’s kind of funny without the sound effects and explosions and quick cuts. Leitch’s decision to render some of the scenes of the sci-fi epic (cue the alien spaceships) as Jody is shooting it was a great call. Besides being a fun style choice, purely for aesthetic reasons, it also speaks to the confidence and vision (Leitch or Jody) a director has to have and their ability to see potential in their story as they go through the nitty-gritty of shooting it.
To be honest, it takes a lot of people to see the potential in a story for it to ever make it to the big screen. And this is what The Fall Guy does so well: it shines a light on the unsung heroes of Hollywood, the people behind the scenes who make it happen. You may not get the recognition you deserve, but you show up every day looking for a little movie magic, and sometimes, every once in a while, you might just find it.
Long story short: this movie is pure Hollywood action comedy summer blockbuster. It’s not gimmicky or lacking in story, though, and finds a wonderfully fun mix of style and substance. It’s just an absolutely solid, absolutely enjoyable film that was absolutely worth the six dollar ticket.
Okay, okay, it was worth more. I went twice.
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