The Fall Guy
Review: This 2024 film just hit streaming which means it’s prime viewing in the Wilson household. My wife & I sat down and were able to enjoy this action rom com starring Ryan Gosling & Emily Blunt as stuntman, Colt Seavers, & director, Jody Moreno, respectively. This film was a very good watch, and I’d say it was probably in my top 5 films of 2024 so far. I’m a sucker for Gosling, and this movie just exudes that signature charisma of his. With a great supporting cast including Hannah Waddingham, Stephanie Hsu, & two actors I always enjoy, Aaron Taylor-Johnson & Winston Duke, this film delivers on pretty much every front. Romance? Check! Comedy? Check! And action? Ultra check! I think a movie about the making of a movie is always a good time, especially when the movie in the movie is as outlandish as Metalstorm. I also just want to mention how cool of a name Colt Seavers is, which I know I need to credit to the source material, the 1981 tv show of the same name.
High: Of course, the high was the stunts. Every stunt was over the top and exciting. Every fight scene was well thought out and cohesive. I personally thought it was exactly what a movie about a stuntman should be. This feels like a good time to shoutout Gosling’s stuntman who are the real stars of the film. First you have his driving double, Logan Holladay, who broke a Guinness World Record for barrel rolls in a car while shooting a movie with 8.5 and did all the incredible driving scenes. Next you have Ben Jenkin who did stunts like getting hit with a car or lit on fire. Then is Justin Eaton who did many of the fight scenes for Gosling and also played Ryder’s other stunt double, Henry. Finally is Troy Brown who really is the titular ‘Fall Guy’ as he performed the big fall at the climax of the movie.
Low: My low has nothing to do with the movie and everything to do with real life. The fact that the Academy still doesn’t recognize stunt work is crazy and I think one of the many missing categories. Casting will debut as a new category within the next few years and I think with the recent push in Hollywood, tunts will be soon to follow. There are still a handful of other categories I personally would love to see added, like voice acting, choreography, etc.
Rating: 8.5/10
