Fall 2: Deadpoint

Directors: The Spiereg Brothers
Starring: Harriet Slater, Arsema Thomas, Tom Brittney, Virginia Gardner, Grace Caroline Currey
Running Time: 97 min.
Rating: PG-13

★★★ (out of ★★★★)     

When Scott Mann's high altitude survival thriller Fall was released in 2022 and went on to become a sleeper hit, the sequel seemed almost inevitable. And it's hard to complain given the indelible mark it left, with certain shots, scenes and moments reverberating long after the credits rolled. And while this story about a pair of friends stranded atop a 2,000 foot radio tower in the desert may have contained some wild developments, it primarily succeeded as a bare bones physical and psychological test of wills. It was also spectacularly lensed, with vertigo inducing shots that  placed viewers alongside its protagonists on that tiny platform, looking down in terror. The scenario is tough to replicate, which is probably why the Spiereg Brothers wisely decided to take Fall 2: Deadpoint in a slightly different direction. 

With the tone and spirit of its predecessor still present, the first thing fans of the original will notice is how much more plot this follow-up contains. Whereas the previous film featured two fairly straightforward twists, this has a few more contentious ones that help establish it as a compulsively watchable B-movie with a capital "B." For some, that approach could be viewed as a downgrade, tempting them to write this off as a schlockier version of the original. And though it doesn't reach the metaphorical heights of its predecessor, it still manages to be a well acted, pulse pounding effort that accomplishes exactly what an action sequel should. 

After thrill seeking streamer Shiloh Hunter (Virginia Gardner) fell to her death following a treacherous tower climb with best friend Becky (Grace Caroline Currey), Shiloh's grieving younger sister Jax (Harriet Slater) is unnerved by the morbid attention her passing has received on social media. Devastated and struggling to move on, Jax meets up with Shiloh's friend Luce (Arsema Thomas) to sell her sister's recently recovered truck. But after finding Shiloh's scrapbook of future stunts and climbs, Luce convinces a very reluctant Jax to join her on a trip to Thailand where they'd attempt the extremely dangerous Mount Kwan plank walk.

While there, the two meet a non-native guide named Jon (Tom Brittney) who will take them for a pricey fee since the mountain is closed due to earthquake-related rock slides. After Luce agrees to foots the bill, she and Jax embark on the restricted, illegal climb when catastrophe strikes, leaving them stranded on the mountain on the side of the mountain with no possible route down. With the elements taking their toll and the possibility of rescue beginning to dwindle, they must find a way to survive as the clock rapidly runs out.

There's this early sequence that shows a montage of social media reactions to Shiloh's death, conveying the hysteria and idol worship surrounding the popular influencer we saw perish in the last film. It's a brief but clever narrative device that kicks off the plot and supplies us with a "blink and you'll miss it" meme that intentionally sparks the film's biggest laugh. But despite how creative Shiloh's performatively mournful "Fall-owers" are, it's no laughing matter for Jax, whose fractured relationship with Shiloh is sporadically shown through flashbacks. Plagued by guilt, the quiet, reserved Jax couldn't be more different than her daredevil sister, a dynamic that frequently caused personality clashes between them. 

Now more nervous and paralyzed by fear in the wake of Shiloh's tragedy, Mann and Jonathan Frank's script lets us determine whether Jax is exercising common sense by hesitating to go on this climb with Luce or it's just another reflection of her timid personality. The answer is probably a mix of both, but considering how Luce credits Shiloh for getting her to "face her fears" it makes sense she'd want to pay that forward to the little sister she left behind. Once they arrive it's clear Jax was right in categorizing this as a reckless endeavor made worse by their lack of experience. 

Luckily, the women have a competent tour guide in Jon, a total pro who appears to have the patience of a saint while showing them the "clip-in clip out" method for crossing the "Devil's Elbow" portion of the mountain. Similar to the previous film, there are a lot of close ups that foreshadow oncoming disaster, as loose bolts, slippery surfaces and rickety planks indicate the terror to come. And once the earthquake hits and rock slides start, all bets are off, with Jax and Luce suddenly left to fend for themselves. 

The setting is no radio tower but the Spieregs still find ways to make this situation a nail biter in its own right, as options for climbing down or summoning help dwindle with each broken rung, creating an increasingly perilous dilemma. We also know this series isn't above killing off one or both lead characters if need be, generating added tension as a result. And there are more than a few taughtly directed scenes that'll have viewers on the edge of their seats, especially a couple of sequences that see Jax and Luce free scaling the mountain in a risky, death defying attempt to reach a dangling, out of reach backpack. 

English actress and Emma Stone lookalike Harriet Slater carries her weight with a strong leading turn as Jax amid some really over-the-top circumstances. Besides possessing a great primal, anguished scream, she tracks Jax's evolution from ignored, insecure little sis to formidable badass overcoming her fears. As the driving force behind this trip, Luce isn't without her own baggage, enabling Arsema Thomas to effectively play her character's cards close to the vest. And though there's a long stretch where Jon's temporarily taken out of the picture, Tom Brittney keeps us wondering whether his knowledgeable tour guide is too good to be true. 

There's a major twist halfway through that seriously alters the climbers' plight and how they relate to each other moving forward. Then comes a less revelatory swerve that's followed by a bigger surprise audiences might take exception to, at least in regard to a certain character's reaction. Though given what we know about her judgment, this response actually makes a lot more sense than you'd initially assume. Really none of these developments come out of nowhere, with the seeds having been planted early on.

Piling on the drama without sacrificing white knuckle suspense, this continues what the last film started with clever call backs, exhilarating sequences and an intense performances. That the original's two leads both reappear and are incorporated well also help make this feel less like a cash-in than the continuation of an ongoing saga. Aside from lesser effects and maybe one narrative wrinkle too many, Fall 2 does capitalize on the previous entry's acrophobic premise, establishing itself as a worthy sequel in this recently announced trilogy. And if its closing minutes are any indication, we could already have a pretty good idea what's in store for the final chapter.