Nothing comes easy for the stunt guy. You risk your life for miniscule, fleeting moments in an extravagant production while receiving none of the adulation. But I think these challenges can be forgotten when the profession is centered on Ryan Gosling as its shepherd, in a life most people would kill to have. Gosling plays Colt Seavers (LOL!), a veteran movie stuntman who left his lover Jody (Emily Blunt) high and dry after a mishap drove Colt into a temporary retirement. Now Jody has graduated from camerawoman to first-time director, and Colt somehow finds himself on her set, brushing elbows with his former flame. If there’s a shitty side to this life, they haven’t shown it yet.
The Fall Guy is the latest in the line of a certain type of action movie, a subgenre that partially owes its ubiquity to the work of the movie’s director, David Leitch. Leitch has had a hand in directing or producing the likes of John Wick, Nobody, Bullet Train, and Violent Night. All descendants of the Shane Black school of irreverent humor, timely lampshading, mixed with mean and grisly violence. The Fall Guy isn’t as brutal as those titles but has a chaotic athleticism that shows its head in a litany of destructive symphonies. Colt embodies something of a “Why me? What is my luck…” Adonis has to endure fistfights, car chases, and death-defying escapes.
The film’s action could have taken a backseat to the humor, like a lot of “action”-comedies tend to do. But Leitch doesn’t skimp on the violence, as the setpieces are some of the movie’s most worthwhile scenes, home to a bevy of carnage and electric energy. At times, you forget you’re watching a comedy, as many of these scenes would fit nicely in an intense action thriller. Leitch cut his teeth in the industry as a stuntman before transitioning to directing. It’s that history that makes him kin of both Colt and Jody, mirroring both leads in multiple ways. The film’s duality between sophomoric action caper and playful romantic comedy showcases Leitch as a filmmaker still evolving and finding his voice, especially on the dramatic side of the page.
However, The Fall Guy’s penchant for convention momentarily gets in the way of its human element. The movie indulges an elaborate scheme so convoluted and distant from its central romance that its inclusion is almost subtraction by addition. I realize that there’s not much one can do to turn the tide on tropes so entrenched into a genre’s DNA, but after Love Lies Bleeding fell into a similar trap, I’m reminded of just how tiring the “we have plenty of material to focus on already, but here’s an extraneous criminal syndicate subplot to pad this movie out…” cliche. Are we just not confident enough in the initial premises of these movies – that we have to pile on some nonsense about petty crooks either running drugs or plotting a main character’s downfall?
Some of these story choices don’t even seem poorly written in a vacuum; they just feel worn out in the greater context of TV and movies beating a dead horse. But I would have probably preferred a movie that focused more on Jody’s movie shoot and the relationship with Colt. In need of some action thrills? The movie Jody is making, Metalstrom, already looks ridiculous enough, so lean into the absurdity – a la Bowfinger (1999) – and have Colt act out the action scenarios. You could even escalate the plot by making Colt the lead of the movie due to unforeseen circumstances, which allows him to act and do the stunt work as a double threat. Meanwhile, we wouldn’t lose focus of Jody and Colt’s relationship, playing up the tension their past enacts on the stressful film production.
There could also be real danger in Colt attempting to regain his confidence as a stunt worker, while he feels challenged and briefly out of his element as an actor. Instead, the movie introduces villains that feel like clones of archetypes you’ve already seen. And given the silliness of the movie and its slapstick nature, there’s no reason to take the baddies or the situations Colt finds himself in all that seriously.
Nonetheless, these criticisms still don’t ruin the fun of what is otherwise an exciting, crowd-pleasing excursion. The Fall Guy is a simple movie; it relies on a small number of ingredients. Yet those ingredients are worthwhile on their own, namely an electric rapport between Gosling and Blunt. They make flirtation look easy, and their bickering is never convincing enough because you just buy them more as a couple. The movie largely works because this duo works – otherwise, the uneven screenplay would splinter the narrative more than it already does. There isn’t even a particularly large amount of backstory to Colt and Jody’s relationship, other than the knowledge they had a fling. This speaks to the capabilities of Blunt, Gosling, and Leitch that they’re able to quickly get you to buy into this bond.
What works about their dynamic is how the story’s events inform Colt’s psyche. His mishaps lead him to a crisis of faith, tanking his confidence despite his seemingly effortless abilities. You need confidence to be a good stuntman and to be a worthwhile lover. Meanwhile, Jody’s prerogative is to move away from the past, focusing on her craft in lieu of love. If there’s a criticism of this dichotomy, it is that Jody’s journey isn’t afforded nearly as much focus as her counterpart, but I’ve already told you about the fat on this screenplay that could be replaced for more characterization, so just copy and paste those complaints here.
We all adore the home runs, but the summer movie season is defined just as much by its doubles and triples. The Fall Guy won’t be hitting Criterion lists anytime soon, but it’s a movie filled with joy, clever humor, and excellent action. It’s an easy movie to dive into, and most of what works about it is primarily surface-level yet engaging and fulfilling, leaving you to wonder why Gosling/Blunt isn’t a pairing we’ve seen many times over. This is the case of two leads having substantial oeuvre and a knack for establishing chemistry quickly with their co-stars – you’ll notice both leads have a history of great on-screen partnerships.
This element works almost too well, overshadowing the efforts of Winston Duke, Aaron Taylor Johnson, and Hannah Waddingham. The film is so busy that it even manages to waste a Stephanie Hsu performance, which should be subject to capital punishment or perhaps something less severe. But in its wake, The Fall Guy establishes Colt Seavers as a lovable hero who never complains too much, pushing through the pain with a shrug and an occasional cocktail. One of the best images of the summer will remain Jody finding an exhausted Colt, laid dilapidated on an inflatable landing. The stuntman finds his equal, and with it, his long-awaited adulation.
