Summary

The Fall Guy is an action thriller that blends romance, action, and comedy effortlessly.
The movie focuses on Colt’s relationship with Jody, and is filled with nice rom-com elements.
The film features hilarious gags, amazing action sequences, and an entertaining love letter to the stunt community.

The Fall Guy feels like it comes from an era of films where it was alright to be openly silly, embracing action, romance, and nonsense all in one fell swoop without ever missing a step. The action comedy is a crowd-pleasing film that exudes charm. It doesn’t overcomplicate its premise while simultaneously taking care to spend time on its characters. Directed by David Leitch, who works from a script by Drew Pearce, The Fall Guy features great comedic performances, fun action sequences, and a nice homage to the stunt community, who keep these kinds of films afloat.

The Fall Guy is an action thriller from Bullet Train and Deadpool 2 director David Leitch. Ryan Gosling stars as a stuntman who is forced to find a missing movie star, investigate a conspiracy, and repair his relationship with the love of his life. The film was written by Drew Pearce and inspired by the 1980s TV series of the same name.ProsThe Fall Guy is genuinely funny and heartfeltRyan Gosling & Emily Blunt have great banter & chemistryThe film is everything an action comedy should beThe stunts are excellent and thrilling

When stuntman Colt Seavers (Ryan Gosling) suffers a back injury following a stunt gone wrong, he goes off-grid, emerging a year and a half later to join ex-girlfriend Jody Moreno’s (Emily Blunt) first feature film, Metal Storm, as a director. Of course, his life is complicated by the fact that Jody had no idea he was the stuntman on her film, and actor Tom Ryder (Aaron Taylor-Johnson), for whom he stunt doubled for years, has mysteriously disappeared. The Fall Guy’s plot is fairly straightforward, and it’s elevated by its tremendous stunt sequences and the marriage of various genres.

The Fall Guy Nicely Blends Its Action & Romantic Comedy

The film is fueled by its massive, highly entertaining action sequences, but that isn’t what makes up the heart of the film. At the center of the story is Colt’s relationship with Jody, and his attempt at winning back her love and affection after pretty much ghosting her following his stunt accident. The Fall Guy unabashedly embraces its rom-com elements (one scene even plays Taylor Swift’s “All Too Well”), playing into Gosling and Blunt’s fantastic chemistry and their playful banter. It would’ve been easy to sideline one aspect for another, but Leitch’s film seamlessly mixes action, comedy, and romance successfully.

And with the stuntman being the hero of the story,
The Fall Guy

is a wonderful, lively, and entertaining love letter to the stunt community and the work they do, which often goes unnoticed and unpraised.

Getting back with Jody is what drives Colt, and he’s not above putting himself in precarious situations if it means she’ll give him a chance to explain himself. And while Jody herself is understandably guarding her heart from being broken again, the gleam in Blunt’s eyes and the small smile that plays at the edge of her lips gives away her still-there affection for Colt. The pair works well together and the film weaves in some of the rom-com genre’s best tropes, which genuinely elevates the stakes and makes things more exciting to watch unfold.

The Fall Guy Director David Leitch Release Date May 3, 2024 Studio(s) Universal Pictures , Entertainment 360 , 87North Productions Distributor(s) Universal Pictures Writers Drew Pearce

There are also plenty of gags that remain funny from start to finish, and they’re peppered throughout so they don’t become too repetitive and risk falling flat. Colt hilariously speaks in movie lines, taken from some of action’s most famous movies, to friend and stunt coordinator Dan Tucker (Winston Duke). Gosling and Duke play off each other well, and Gosling especially knows how to remind us how ridiculous some of the characters are with his line delivery.

Meanwhile, Taylor-Johnson’s Ryder is stupidly funny and shallow, with the film poking fun at movie stars who constantly state that they do their own stunts. Hannah Waddingham, who plays producer Gail Meyers, is clearly having a ball in the role and turns up the level of goofiness with her presence. Stephanie Hsu, in a smaller role, gets to shine in her limited time onscreen, though it would have benefited the film had she had more to do.

The Fall Guy’s Action Is Exhilarating & Wildly Fun

Considering The Fall Guy is about a stuntman, of course the film features some amazing action set pieces. From Colt falling from a helicopter after fighting with Ryder to a car chase sequence and pyrotechnic explosions, the film’s stunt team, led by stunt coordinator Keir Beck, goes all out. A special shout-out goes to Justin Eaton (who doubled for Taylor-Johnson and Gosling) and Ben Jenkin (who doubled for Gosling as well), who really put in the work here. The action really brings to life the movie-within-a-movie vibe it’s got going.

The film itself is engrossing from start to finish, laying the foundation for the personal journey Colt goes on and the central relationship he has with Jody. Blunt’s character is pulled into the shenanigans, and the film heavily benefits from her presence. The comedic timing is on point, and the film knows how to be absurd without going overboard. And with the stuntman being the hero of the story, The Fall Guy is a wonderful, lively, and entertaining love letter to the stunt community and the work they do, which often goes unnoticed and unpraised.

The Fall Guy
premiered at the 2024 SXSW Film & TV Festival. It will debut in theaters on May 3.