There’s just something about a movie about making movies and whatever that something is, The Fall Guy has it all. Goofy, glamorous, gorgeous, it’s directed by David Leitch and written by Drew Pearce, but feels like it was given notes by the ghost of Billy Wilder. It’s able to reach its wildly fun heights due to the fact it’s taken so seriously, especially by Ryan Gosling. One near-death scene from him deserves a standing ovation on its own purely for the genuine fear that flashes across his face. It’s actually kind of life-affirming to watch someone else take give so much to something so silly.
In The Fall Guy, the jokes are fresh, the plot twists are tight and while we know what this movie is and how it has to end, we’re not totally sure what the road taking us there looks like. It’s familiar, but not predictable making it impossible not to stay locked in.
As you might expect, the stunt work is stand out. In a world filled with CGI, AI and deep fakes it’s refreshing to be reminded of just how insanely good, and honestly, better, art is when made entirely by human effort. There’s danger in doing stunts, but there’s also danger in “doing it in post” all of the time. Creating is hard work, and The Fall Guy puts that work from stunt people front and center. There can be no short cuts, they’re driven, as most artists are, by pure passion (clearly definitely not money or fame), and it’s exciting to get good look at everything that goes into pulling it off. Seeing a car fly from one hunk of land to another while we slouch in theatre seats and pause from picking popcorn kernels out of our molars to whisper “damn” is the stuff going to the movies is made of. It’s all part of the movie magic, and in this movie, it’s gloriously real.
It’s the perfect combination of comedy, chemistry, action and mystery. To quote Taylor Swift (whose song is used perfectly in the film) quoting Gladiator, are you not entertained?
