The Fall Guy (2024)
It’s probably been said in Hollywood that actors take the bows while the stuntpeople take the “ow’s,” or if it hasn’t been said maybe it should be. Ryan Gosling as Colt Seavers does both in The Fall Guy, which is not only a love song to the stunt profession, but straight-up old school fun.
Colt is one of the best stuntmen in Hollywood, if not the best, working mostly with action star Tom Ryder, but when he breaks his back in a fall, he withdraws from Hollywood and works as a valet at a Mexican restaurant.
Then he gets called to work as a stuntman on a sci-fi cowboy film, Metalstorm that’s filming in Australia and directed by Jody, his old fling. Jody asked for him personally, it seems. Colt, who was reluctant at first, can’t get to Sydney fast enough.
Right off the bat, this is no ordinary film set. Stunt work is apparently like riding a bike, because Colt easily gets back into it, but the production is plagued by Gail, the producer, who is constantly on the set and seldom seen without a Diet Coke. She’s a bit fastidious, for one thing. There’s also a mixture of tension and flirtation between Colt and Jody, who have some unresolved issues to work through. Other than that, making Metalstorm is business as usual.
Strange things start happening on set, though, as Colt finds himself in a hotel room drugged out of his mind and seeing unicorns, and just when he seems to be coming out of it he finds the body of one of the other stuntmen in the bathtub. To make matters worse, he’s the prime suspect in the murder.
The Fall Guy is a roller coaster of a movie. It’s only very slightly based on the classic TV series of the same name, but for the most part it’s very much its own thing. Ryan Gosling, as we all know, isn’t just Ken, and he plays Colt to the hilt, ably matched by Emily Blunt, who he has a really nice chemistry with. It’s pretty easy to believe Colt and Jody just want to drink margaritas on the beach and make some bad decisions; the way they look at each other says it all.
This is a movie that doesn’t just navel-gaze; it talks to itself. There’s a split screen scene between Colt and Jody where they discuss over the phone the pros and cons of split screens. And the movie is careful to warn itself away from mistakes. Can’t have too much exposition or it’ll turn the audience off. Do whatever is necessary to raise stakes. Contort the love story so there’s a guaranteed happy ending. It might be weird except that this movie is literally about making a movie, or at least its window dressing is, so we go with it.
There’s also a heavy dash of inception when one considers that this movie about stuntpeople and directed by a stuntman used actual stuntpeople to perform the stunts the characters are supposed to undertake, although the actors do an impressive amount of stuntwork themselves just to make things look convincing. The Fall Guy knows it, too, as evidenced in the gag reel shown in the ending credits. And yes, there’s a post-credit scene with a familiar face making an appearance.
What I really like is that while the action and the mystery are played just seriously enough that we believe it, there’s always a light touch. Ryan Gosling is a cute goofball of a guy, and the way he twinkles his way through what would ordinarily be a painful scene with the bad guys signals that there’s more to him than meets the eye.
That’s the thing about stuntmen. While they do take a lot of hard knocks, there’s also quite a bit of sleight of hand involved and what we think we see may not be the whole picture. I know that sounds cryptic, but this is one of those movies that’s too good to spoil. It just has to be allowed to happen and it’s a blast watching it unfold.
I know there are those who say Hollywood is dead and it could very well be, but movies like The Fall Guy fly in the face of that idea, always keeping a soft landing for audiences who are no doubt tired of constant reboots, remakes, sequels and prequels.
The Fall Guy is currently in theaters. Rated PG-13
My grade: A-
Principal Cast: Ryan Gosling, Emily Blunt, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Hannah Waddingham, Teresa Palmer, Stephanie Hsu, Winston Duke, Ben Knight, Matuse, Adam Dunn, Zara Michales, Ioane Saula, Gregory J. Fryer, Madeleine Wilson, Kalkidan China, Angela Nica Sullen, Di Smith, Megan O’Connell.
Directed by David Leitch.
Written by Drew Pierce and Glen A. Larson.