The Fall Guy (2024): Tumbles Instead of Leaps?

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The Fall Guy exploded into theaters in 2024. Colt Seavers, a failed stuntman is asked to return for a new Blockbuster movie. His return is not met with enthusiasm by the director, Jody Moreno, where they’ve had relationship issues. That’s not the only threat thwarting the film.

The Fall Guy has been hyped up for its epic action-packed story, boasting a talented cast. After the film ended, I felt something was amiss. As described by the filmmakers, The Fall Guy was meant to celebrate stunt performers, instead, the film ignores spotlighting this important industry, meandering in several different directions.

Ryan Gosling shines in the lead role as Colt Seavers, delivering charm, wit, and action. He is a joy to watch onscreen, including his hilarious humor. The one issue is that the film doesn’t provide a sufficient backstory. Most of the film is Gosling on his own, improvising witty remarks about the situation, but we never get a sense of his motivations.

Similarly, Emily Blunt delivers a solid performance, but the film doesn’t do her justice. Besides Colt and Jody’s constant bickering, their on-screen relationship is not captivating enough. Gosling and Blunt worked well improvising off one another, but the subplot felt forced and tedious.

The Fall Guy has an exceptional cast of big-name actors. Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Hannah Waddingham, Teresa Palmer, and Winston Duke are all wonderful, but they could have utilized more. For example, Oscar-nominee Stephanie Hsu has a brief part in the middle half, but then she disappears.

My main disappointment in The Fall Guy is that David Leitch marketed this film as a spotlight for the immense services that stunt coordinators do. The film devotes surprisingly little screen time to showcasing the often dangerous work stunt performers courageously do.

Instead, the film meanders from the movie set storyline and drags out this bad-guy villain's scenario. Colt also experiences an acid trip where he hallucinates a unicorn. It’s a strange idea and doesn’t add much.

The finale is epic and exciting, but where was the rest of the film? Several storylines are glossed over, like Colt’s breakdown period. The Fall Guy should have been a half-hour shorter, trimming most of the banter between Colt and Jody.

Another issue I had was midway through the movie, a dog joins Colt in his misadventures. This dog is great but should have been introduced earlier. What if he was Colt’s comfort dog when he was going through a difficult time following his accident?

While the film doesn’t entirely gloss over the stunt world, the film incorporates well-constructed stunt scenes. The Fall Guy broke a Guinness World Record with the most car rolls in history with 8.5! Despite fearing heights, Gosling performed most stunts, like the 150-foot jump at the film’s start.

Moving forward, stunt coordinators deserve high recognition for their incredible contributions. Their jobs often risk life (and limbs) to bring the director’s vision to life. The film doesn’t fully honor these talented individuals, overshadowing it.

Stunt people, you have the most important jobs in the film industry. Not just stunt people, but this goes for everyone who works behind the scenes. You matter. Without special effects, editors, and sound - ANYBODY, you make filmmaking possible. Films would be lost without all your tremendous work.

The Fall Guy deserves several modifications, however, you are in for a thrilling time at the theater. Stay for the end credits because exciting B-roll footage of stunt creations is included. An excellent way to conclude the film!