For best friends Becky (Grace Caroline Currey) and Hunter (Virginia Gardner), life is all about conquering fears and pushing limits. But after they climb 2,000 feet to the top of a remote, abandoned radio tower, they find themselves stranded with no way down. Now Becky and Hunter’s expert climbing skills will be put to the ultimate test as they desperately fight to survive the elements, a lack of supplies, and vertigo-inducing heights in this adrenaline-fueled thriller from the producers of 47 Meters Down. Co-starring Jeffrey Dean Morgan.
For in-depth thoughts on Fall, please see my colleague Cody Allen’s review from its original theatrical release here.
Video Quality
Fall arrives on Blu-Ray with a visually striking 1080p presentation in its original 2.00:1 aspect ratio that really wows in high definition. With this primarily being a single-location feature after the opening scenes, the visual possibilities are somewhat limited, but that does not mean the visuals are lacking. The biggest complaint we have with this title involves some obvious banding in certain shots, but it is not a persistent issue. Black levels are pretty deep in low light, but some digital noise also creeps in. Color saturation is strong with the natural color palette presenting the subtle nuances of the hues. Skin tones are natural to the lighting conditions, although a lot of exposed skin begins to succumb to the exposure to the sun and cuts as the story moves along. The clarity throughout is quite a sight with subtle textures in the costumes and environments coming through perfectly. Lionsgate Home Entertainment has done a nice job translating it to Blu-Ray.
Audio Quality
The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track provides a really great experience for fans. The movie uses environmental sounds to tremendous effect, especially when it comes to the winds and other elements surrounding the girls on the tower. The soundscape on display here is textured with a considered sense of direction within your speakers. The score and other music maintains terrific fidelity at all moments. This track is always thrilling even without big action set pieces, and kinetic moments are given weight in the low end. As the movie dials up the intensity, the track retains strong detail even in the more perilous developments. Dialogue comes through without issue as none of the information is lost to competing elements. This track delivers what it needs. There are English SDH and Spanish subtitles provided.
Special Features
- Audio Commentary: Producer/Co-writer/Director Scott Mann and Producer James Harris provide an informative commentary track in which they discuss the realities of making this movie, shooting around the schedule of Jeffrey Dean Morgan, scouting shooting locations, casting the leads, how they worked around shooting the tower scenes and much more.
- Madison Beer “I Have Never Felt So Alive” From Fall: The three-and-a-half minute lyric video is provided here featuring footage from the film.
- Fall – The Making Of: A solid 16-minute featurette in which the cast and creative team discuss the conception and execution of this film, filming during a pandemic, performing stunts, using technology to tone down the language of the film and more.
- Theatrical Trailer: The two-and-a-half minute trailer is provided here.
Final Thoughts
Fall is a simple yet effective premise which taps into a basic fear that is sure to send a shiver down the spine of even those who are not afraid of heights. There is palpable terror throughout much of this film which remains effective even on a non-theatrical screen, yet you do have to suspend your disbelief pretty consistently. Worse, though, is that the film pads its runtime with unnecessary elements which could have easily been eliminated for a more effective pace. Nevertheless, those looking for some decent thrills should be satisfied by the end. Lionsgate Home Entertainment has released a Blu-Ray with a strong A/V presentation and a few decent special features. This is more of a genre movie than an effective exploration of grief, but it works fairly well for what it is trying to accomplish. Recommended
Fall will be available to purchase on Blu-Ray and DVD on October 18, 2022. The film is currently available on Digital.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Lionsgate Home Entertainment has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.