The Drop (2022 film)

Last updated

The Drop
The Drop (2022 film).png
Official release poster
Directed by Sarah Adina Smith
Written by
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyShaheen Seth
Edited by
  • Daniel Garber
  • Sarah Adina Smith
Music by Ellen Reid
Production
companies
Distributed by Hulu
Release dates
  • June 11, 2022 (2022-06-11)(Tribeca)
  • January 13, 2023 (2023-01-13)(United States)
Running time
92 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

The Drop is a 2022 American black comedy film directed by Sarah Adina Smith, written by Smith and Joshua Leonard, and starring Anna Konkle and Jermaine Fowler. It premiered at the 2022 Tribeca Film Festival and was released on Hulu on January 13, 2023. It received mixed reviews from critics.

Contents

Plot

The film follows a young married couple, Lex and Mani, running an artisanal bakery in Los Angeles and making plans to start a family. Their plans are thrown into upheaval when, while at a tropical resort for a destination wedding, Lex accidentally drops their friend's baby. [1]

Cast

Production

The script was written by Sarah Adina Smith, who also directed the film, and Joshua Leonard, who also appears in the film. Smith and Leonard produced alongside Jonako Donley, Mel Eslyn, Shuli Harel, Tim Headington, and Lia Buman. It was executive produced by Mark Duplass and Jay Duplass. [2] Smith said she had the idea for the story while thinking about the 2014 Swedish film Force Majeure . [3] It was filmed in the United States and Mexico during the COVID-19 pandemic, which Smith said was a challenge. [4] [5]

Release

The film had its world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival on June 11, 2022. [6] The film was released on Hulu on January 13, 2023. [1]

Reception

Critical response

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 51% based on reviews from 41 critics, with an average rating of 5.2/10. The website's critics consensus reads, "The Drop has its finger on the pulse and a game cast trying to keep it alive, but despite its heart being in the right place, this comedy's electrocardiogram is as flat as the Great Plains." [7]

Fletcher Powell of KMUW said, "The Drop is funny. Sometimes very funny. And a lot of that has to do with its relaxed pace—a lot of movies like this would play up the shock and zaniness. These things tend to get a little too in your face. And there is plenty of shock, or at least surprise, but director and writer Sarah Adina Smith and her fantastic cast aren’t concerned with telling you very loudly that this is funny, they just let it be funny." [8] Noel Murray of the Los Angeles Times wrote that while the film "doesn't always work as a comedy, it does have the ring of hard-won truth" by demonstrating "how someone's seemingly rock-solid reputation can be undone in an instant." [9]

Tara Bennett of IGN gave the film a grade of six out of ten, asserting, "The Drop has a great premise that doesn’t get fleshed out in a way that honors such an audacious idea. While Konkle and Fowler are very strong as the central relationship being tested, the script treats them more as easy punchlines trying to navigate a series of escalating, cringe-worthy friend faux paus. While there’s a good amount to laugh at because of the caliber of comedians involved, by the end it lands more like great potential, mostly wasted." [10] Christy Lemire of RogerEbert.com gave the film one and a grade of half out of four stars, saying that despite an "intriguing premise, The Drop never reaches its full cringe comedy potential." [11]

Accolades

Sarah Adina Smith was nominated for Best U.S. Narrative Feature at the 2022 Tribeca Film Festival. [12] [13]

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References

  1. 1 2 Zilko, Christian (December 12, 2022). "'The Drop' Trailer: Anna Konkle Drops a Baby in Hulu's Cringe Comedy". IndieWire . Archived from the original on January 4, 2023. Retrieved January 4, 2023.
  2. ↑ Grobar, Matt (November 29, 2022). "Sarah Adina Smith's Dark Comedy 'The Drop' Exec Produced By Mark And Jay Duplass Set For January Bow On Hulu". Deadline Hollywood . Archived from the original on January 12, 2023. Retrieved January 12, 2023.
  3. ↑ Kennedy, Lisa (January 10, 2023). "A Destination Wedding Mishap Upends a Young Couple's Parenting Plans". Variety . Archived from the original on January 12, 2023. Retrieved January 12, 2023.
  4. ↑ Nicholson, Cassandra (June 6, 2022). "Tribeca 2022 Women Directors: Meet Sarah Adina Smith – "The Drop"". Women and Hollywood. Archived from the original on January 12, 2023. Retrieved January 12, 2023.
  5. ↑ "Tribeca Interview Series: Editor Daniel Garber on 'The Drop'". ProductionHUB. June 23, 2022. Archived from the original on January 12, 2023. Retrieved January 12, 2023.
  6. ↑ Roth, Dylan (June 21, 2022). "'The Drop': A Cringe Comedy That Depicts a Different Kind of Baby Boom". Observer . Archived from the original on January 12, 2023. Retrieved January 12, 2023.
  7. ↑ "The Drop". Rotten Tomatoes . Archived from the original on February 6, 2023. Retrieved February 6, 2023.
  8. ↑ Powell, Fletcher (January 12, 2023). "'The Drop' is cringe-comedy that keeps a relaxed pace". KMUW . Archived from the original on September 3, 2023. Retrieved September 3, 2023.
  9. ↑ Murray, Noel (January 13, 2023). "'The Drop' doesn't always work as a comedy, but it has the ring of hard-won truth". Los Angeles Times . Archived from the original on January 17, 2023. Retrieved January 17, 2023.
  10. ↑ Bennett, Tara (January 13, 2023). "The Drop Review". IGN . Archived from the original on September 3, 2023. Retrieved September 3, 2023.
  11. ↑ Lemire, Christy (January 13, 2023). "The Drop". RogerEbert.com . Archived from the original on January 17, 2023. Retrieved January 17, 2023.
  12. ↑ "TRIBECA FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES 2022 FEATURE AND SHORT FILM LINEUP". Tribeca Festival . Archived from the original on August 8, 2023. Retrieved September 3, 2023.
  13. ↑ Foster, Miles (April 19, 2022). "2022 Tribeca Festival Lineup Announced". AwardsRadar.com. Archived from the original on September 3, 2023. Retrieved September 3, 2023.
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