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This review was originally part of our coverage for the 2024 SXSW Film & TV Festival.

I love movies, and I love moviemaking just as much. As someone who spends nearly every waking hour marveling at and celebrating the craftsmanship required to make a film, David Leitch’s The Fall Guy is a dream come true. Yes, it’s a crowd-pleasing romantic comedy thriller, but first and foremost, it’s one big-hearted ode to the artists responsible for movie magic.

What Is ‘The Fall Guy’ About?

Ryan Gosling leads as Colt Seavers, a stuntman whose day-to-day consists of getting shot, blown up, sent spiraling via elaborate car crashes, and then some. All of that nearly ends when Colt is in the middle of a devastating accident. Time passes and Colt doesn’t bounce back. He steers clear of all things Hollywood until receiving an unexpected call. His ex, Jody (Emily Blunt), is making her first big-budget studio movie and it’s at risk of getting shut down. Its star, Tom Ryder (Aaron Taylor-Johnson), is missing. In an effort to get the film back on track, and hopefully win Jody back in the process, Colt agrees to track Tom down. Little does he know, it’s a mission that will demand he put his stunt person skillset to use — in the real world against real criminals.

The Fall Guy works on every single level. When the trailer first dropped, initially, I was overjoyed by the idea of getting a feature film that focused on filmmaking and stuntwork. However, when the trailer ventured beyond a movie set, I feared that once the main mission got underway, it’d teeter away from filmmaking and too close to a more traditional action movie narrative. I couldn’t have been more wrong about that. The Fall Guy firmly stays rooted in set life and the making of Jody’s movie, but whenever it moves out into the streets of Sydney, every single ounce of action is delightfully tethered to Colt’s on-set behavior. It results in a slew of downright hilarious action beats where what works on set doesn’t prove as effective against real criminals and also packs plenty of truly incredible physical achievements.

The Fall Guy is an often hilarious romp of a movie, but it doesn’t take its acknowledgment of stuntwork lightly, nor the work required of other departments to make a movie. All of the action in The Fall Guy is incredibly well-shot, ensuring it can match, if not surpass, the stunt scenes we’d see in any other Hollywood action film. But, these scenes also have a more tactile quality to them than most films. Many moments reminded me of seeing live stunt shows at theme parks in the best possible way. The physical feat required to pull something off is undeniable because it’s happening right before your eyes. Every ounce of Fall Guy elicits a similar feeling. It’s a highly enjoyable and wild ride, but one that never lets you forget that real human beings (and one very, very good stunt dog) did all of this for you, the audience.

‘The Fall Guy’ Is a Masterful Action Movie With Great Stunts

The concept remains fresh and fun from start to finish courtesy of its wildly charming leads, impeccable pacing, and uniquely dynamic action set pieces. Minus some noticeable digital backdrops, the stunt choreography, cinematography, and editing choices are all top-tier.

This will come as no surprise given their expertise in this space, but Leitch and cinematographer Jonathan Sela are true masters of capturing action. The imagery is often downright stunning, the viewer’s eye is always exactly where it needs to be, and they also appear to know just how much to capture in camera in a single shot. From there we get Elísabet Ronaldsdóttir’s edit, which features a highly effective balance of cuts with purpose and lengthier shots that strongly enhance the believability and visceral nature of all the set pieces.

And then there’s Gosling who is utterly pitch-perfect as Colt Seavers. This role was made for him. His charisma is through the roof as he absolutely nails the balance between selling Colt as a highly trained stunt person but also one that, much to the viewer’s amusement, is realizing his on-set tricks don’t have the same effect off-set. He rocks maximum chemistry with everyone in the ensemble.

The Romance and Supporting Cast Are Stellar in ‘The Fall Guy’

Admittedly, I can be a tough sell with the romantic component of romantic comedies/romantic thrillers, but the connection between Gosling and Blunt’s characters is undeniable. As always, Winston Duke boasts maximum screen presence playing Dan, a close friend of Colt’s and the stunt coordinator on Jody’s film. One of many of Fall Guy’s greatest delights is seeing Duke and Gosling team up for a fight. Taylor-Johnson and Hannah Waddingham also soar in their roles. Taylor-Johnson is great as an insufferable movie star with a massive ego and Waddingham steals the show as the producer of Jody’s film who’ll stop at nothing to make things happen.

I truly had a massive grin on my face from start to finish watching The Fall Guy. It’s an extremely well-crafted action movie that’s absolutely buzzing with energy and charm for all 125 minutes of its running time. What makes it an all-timer is how it functions as one big, loving celebration of cinema.

I’m always in awe of the fact that no single person can make a movie. These productions demand hundreds, if not thousands of artists who are deeply passionate masters at their crafts come together in order to bring someone’s vision to theaters and share it with the world. Every contribution is valuable, and every contribution is vital. With an extra special emphasis on the wizards responsible for jaw-dropping stunts, The Fall Guy heavily highlights that in the form of an exceedingly entertaining ride. It’s both a big-screen delight and a moviemaking lover’s dream.

The Fall Guy

REVIEW

The Fall Guy is both an entertaining ride and a celebration of stunt performers everywhere.

Pros

• Ryan Gosling is pitch-perfect in the role, capturing the balance between talented stunt performer and unwitting action hero.
• All of the way the action is put together, from the stunts themselves to the cinematography and the editing, is expertly done.
• The chemistry between Gosling and Emily Blunt is undeniable, ensuring the movie doesn’t skimp on romance.

Cons

• There are some noticeable digital backgrounds.

The Fall Guy comes to theaters in the U.S. starting May 3. Click below for showtimes.

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