Movies about movies are so fun! Whether it’s about making a satire on the film industry or Hollywood or even movie trivia as part of the plot, it puts a smile on my face. From classics like Sunset Boulevard and Singin’ in the Rain to modern, if not controversial, takes like La La Land and Babylon, movies about movies are another way of giving audiences digestible social commentary. Leave it to stuntman, producer, and director David Leitch to tell us a little something about the industry he has worked in for over 30 years with The Fall Guy.
Oscar nominee Ryan Gosling is no stranger to playing the stuntman. Go back and watch the incredible performances in Drive and The Place Beyond the Pines. In The Fall Guy, written by Drew Pearce (Iron Man 3) and based on the television series created by Glen A. Larson, Gosling plays Colt Seavers, a stuntman who is used to getting blown up, shot at, crashed into, thrown through windows, and launched into flames, to say the least. When an almost career-ending accident happens on set, Colt goes into depression mode, cutting off all the things and, most importantly, the people he loves. Lured to return to work to track down missing movie star Tom Ryder (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) and solve a conspiracy, Colt also tries to win back the love of his life, Jody (Emily Blunt).
Leitch has the resume to back up this action/rom-com with blockbusters like Bullet Train, Deadpool 2, Atomic Blonde, Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw, plus producer/executive producer credits on the John Wick franchise and Violent Night. But this film is a complete love letter to the stunt teams and movie magic that make those films so amazing. They are finally getting the recognition they deserve in the film industry and, for stunt driver Logan Holladay, in the Guinness World Records. While filming The Fall Guy, Holladay set a new Guinness World Record Title for Most Cannon Rolls in a Car at 8 ½. If you aren’t breaking stunt records in a movie made by and about stunt teams, what are you even doing?
The Fall Guy also stars Winston Duke (Black Panther franchise) and Academy Award nominee Stephanie Hsu (Everything Everywhere All at Once), making for a film with representation in front of and behind the camera, which is missing a lot in the action genre. On top of that, The Fall Guy steers clear of the quintessential action film stereotypes by the portrayal of female characters in the film and the reversal of the “male gaze.”
They way the audience cheered at the scenes showcasing Hsu and Blunt kicking ass was pretty entertaining. Not to mention, they did it while not wearing a high slit dress or heels. It would be a crime not to mention Emmy winner Hannah Waddingham’s performance as the big producer. She is a boss! She does what she needs to get the job done. Does she have her faults? Yes. But she does her job well and looks good while doing it. She also has some great action moments. A total badass.
When I think of the “male gaze,” I think it suggests a sexualized way of viewing a woman that empowers the man and objectifies the woman. The Fall Guy, while we get some beautiful shots of Blunt, focuses the camera on Gosling. Whether it’s him getting out of water with a wet tank top or taking off his shirt to reveal a Greek-like physique complete with a six pack, Leitch knew what he was doing with those camera angles, that lighting, and that use of slow motion.
The Fall Guy is a hilarious, hard-hitting, action film that highlights the underappreciated teams that make them. This past year has been a fantastic time for stunt teams. They are finally getting the recognition they deserve during award season — still, there are milestones to get through. While I enjoyed the amazing stunts, I do think some scenes were a tad too long. I get it, we are here to see these stunts to their full capacity. It was a nice touch to draw the camera away from the close up and give us a wide shot of these action sequences, but some scenes would linger a moment too long.
This film from 87 North, Entertainment 360, and Universal Pictures will have you engaged the entire time. It’s funny. It’s heart-dropping. It’s explosive. It is a bit cliche, but absolutely on purpose. They know what they are making and it works. As a Black girl nerd, I was absolutely on the edge of my seat, watching the action and adventure play out on the big screen while also waiting for the guy to get the girl. Why can’t it be everything all at once?
The Fall Guy had its world premiere at the 2024 SXSW TV & Film Festival. The film premieres in theaters nationwide May 3.
