The Fall Guy (2024)
Not only is this action-packed rom-com a joy from start to finish thanks to great performances from Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt, but it’s also a heartfelt love-letter to the anonymous stunt performers who are the unsung heroes of Hollywood.
Premise: Stuntman Colt Seavers (Ryan Gosling) is talked out of retirement by Hollywood producer Gail Meyer (Hannah Waddingham) and persuaded to work on the movie of first-time director (and Colt’s ex-fling) Jody Moreno (Emily Blunt). But when superstar actor Tom Ryder (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) goes missing, Colt has to find him before the whole movie is shut down.
Review:
This is stuntman-turned-director David Leitch‘s sixth directorial effort, but he’s clearly becoming a more assured filmmaker with every movie he directs. After co-directing the original John Wick film back in 2014, he then made the (hugely underrated) spy action thriller Atomic Blonde, the irreverent comic-book sequel Deadpool 2, the buddy-action-comedy Fast & Furious: Hobbs & Shaw, and then the darkly humorous, high-concept action film Bullet Train. Now, with The Fall Guy, David Leitch has not only had a chance to really stretch himself and his stunt team by bringing some truly breathtaking set-pieces to the big screen, but he’s also delivered the funniest, warm-hearted action rom-com this side of The Lost City.
The trailers for this movie perhaps understandably focused on the action side of things (which I’ll come on to in a second), but the trailers did leave me wondering what there would be for an actor of Emily Blunt’s calibre to do. But actually, while most of the plot mechanics do revolve around Colt Seavers’ (Ryan Gosling) investigation into the disappearance of Hollywood A-lister Tom Ryder (Aaron Taylor-Johnson), the beating heart of The Fall Guy is the nascent romance between Gosling’s emotionally damaged stuntman and first-time-director Jody Moreno (Emily Blunt).
“…a heartfelt love-letter from David Leitch to the stunt community…”
Ryan Gosling’s sparky chemistry with Emily Blunt in The Fall Guy reminded me of how entertainingly he bounced off Emma Stone in the often overlooked rom-com Crazy, Stupid, Love. Meanwhile, it’s a delight to see Emily Blunt, who’s so often cast in very intense roles, get a chance to really cut loose with her fun side (even in Jungle Cruise, she had to play the straight-laced character). Together, their chemistry instantly wins over the audience, and their self-aware rom-com storyline is even meta enough to name-check Notting Hill (which, I’ll confess, is one of my all-time favourite rom-coms).
The blossoming romance between stuntman Colt and director Jody feels believable (if heightened), and I can’t help but wonder if part of that is because so much of this movie feels grounded in David Leitch’s own personal experiences (he’s even said that his relationship with his wife, producer Kelly McCormick, was part of the inspiration for the Colt/Jody workplace chemistry). The Fall Guy is, among its other qualities, a heartfelt love-letter from David Leitch to the stunt community – the unknown performers who put their limbs and lives on the line to deliver Hollywood’s action blockbusters, but who aren’t even given the respect or recognition of a category of their own at the Oscars. The truth is, the billions of dollars that action blockbusters make each year for Hollywood wouldn’t be possible without the tireless work of the stunt community, yet the movie industry steadfastly refuses to even really acknowledge their presence, let alone their massive contribution to cinema. One film isn’t going to change Hollywood overnight, but you can absolutely feel the love that David Leitch and his crew have poured into The Fall Guy to try to give the stunt community their well-deserved moment in the spotlight.
“…a masterclass in classic, practical stunt-work…”
As a result, The Fall Guy is a masterclass in classic, practical stunt-work, including everything from car-hits and well-choreographed fight sequences, to high-falls, car-jumps and a World Record breaking cannon roll. But it’s all done with a knowing wink to the audience – for example, just before one of the ‘real life’ fight scenes, we see Colt position cushions in preparation for a potential fall off a balcony later on. Equally, the film makes it clear that stunt performers aren’t inhuman, and that even the best trained of them are taking real damage to ensure that their Hollywood A-listers are going to look cool on the big screen.
The Hollywood A-lister in this film is Tom Ryder, played by Aaron Taylor-Johnson (who very nearly stole the show in David Leitch’s previous film, Bullet Train). Tom Ryder is a delightfully self-centred parody of Hollywood action stars, while Hannah Waddingham is great fun (in arguably her biggest profile role so far) as Tom Ryder’s tell-everyone-what-they-want-to-hear producer Gail Meyer. Rounding out the main cast is Winston Duke who plays Colt’s friend (and now the stunt coordinator on Jody’s film), Dan Tucker. The camaraderie between Colt and Dan again feels very grounded in the bonds between real-life stunt performers, and Winston Duke is always great at bringing out amusing or memorable character moments in his supporting rolls, as he does again here.
“…an affectionate, knowing joyride with plenty of action & humour…”
Structurally, you could argue that The Fall Guy is almost two films in one – on the one hand, you have a charming rom-com between Colt and Jody set against the backdrop of the behind-the-scenes problems on a movie production, as first-time director Jody attempts to juggle temperamental A-listers, studio pressures and her own emotional baggage on the set of ‘Metal Storm’, an intentionally over-the-top parody of sci-fi action epics, with the overblown tagline ‘It’s high noon on the edge of the universe…’. Then, on the other hand, you have a comedic, action-packed mystery thriller in which Colt has to investigate the disappearance of Tom Ryder before word of his absence reaches the studio execs. Colt instantly finds himself way over his head, and has to rely on his stunt training to deal with armed goons, a mysterious assailant with a samurai sword … and a unicorn.
Both of these plot threads include laugh-out-loud moments, witty dialogue, and meta moments that undercut the preposterousness of the premise, all while showcasing the love that the filmmakers have for making these kind of films. The result is an affectionate, knowing joyride that has more than enough action and humour to keep audiences entertained, even when the plot sags ever so slightly in the middle section.
“…it takes real skill to weave the comedy, romance & action all together so well…”
Packed full of entertainingly cheesy rock-anthem needle drops, this is a film with its tongue in its cheek and its heart on its sleeve. It takes real skill to weave the comedy, romance and action all together so well, and anyone who’s thought about dismissing David Leitch as being ‘just’ an action director needs to think again. And maybe Hollywood – an industry that’s normally only too happy to bask in the self-congratulatory glow of its annual awards season – should finally sit up and give some respect to the ‘unknown stuntman’ on whose back so many Hollywood blockbusters (and billions of dollars) have been made.
The rest of us, meanwhile, can just sit back, relax, and enjoy two of the most fun hours you’re likely to have in the cinema this year. If ever there was a film likely to have you leaving the cinema with a big grin on your face, it’s this one. (Oh, and make sure you stay for the end credits behind-the-scenes footage, and a brief mid-credits scene).
