Kylie Firmin '26
Crashing through the haze of mediocre movies in 2024, Daniel Leitch’s The Fall Guy tumbles its way into viewers’ hearts. An enchanting Ryan Gosling leads the way as a stuntman who, after taking a hard fall, tries to regain the favor of his past love, an emotionally captivating Emily Blunt.
It is a movie adaptation of a series from the 1980s by Glen A. Larson, and is 125 minutes of classic Hollywood action at its finest. This action-comedy movie hybrid somehow finds its way into the mystery genre, before stumbling out and ending with a flourish.
Colt Seavers (Ryan Gosling) had all the fame –well, as much fame as a Hollywood stuntman can have– before he found himself plummeting 12 feet on set. One back injury later, Colt found himself roused from his quiet life by the prospect of working with Jody (Emily Blunt), an old ‘fling’ who is now directing a movie of her own.
What proceeds are fight scenes interspersed with a little romance, a little mystery, and a whole lot of Ryan Gosling being Ryan Gosling, with all of the jokes and charisma that follow. Jody’s movie is an epic science fiction/fantasy movie, generic and relatively unimportant, as its only real purpose is to act as a representation for the relationship between herself and Colt, and be a vehicle for a few laughs.
Woven between the fight scenes is a romance between Gosling and Blunt’s characters. The two have wonderful chemistry, although some scenes will leave the viewer with second-hand embarrassment. It’s all a part of the movie’s charm, I suppose. Gosling is most certainly the star, but Blunt provides much needed depth and emotional control, providing a respite from the gritty action.
Scenes are shrouded in this dusty, desaturated hue, working in the classic feeling of an action movie. Fight scenes are well executed and enjoyable, if a bit theatrical, which is to be expected from a movie that is basically a love letter to the stunt community. As with the majority of fight scenes in cinema, some scenes feel unrealistic, but the tongue in cheek nature of the movie allows the suspension of disbelief.
The movie does drag on a bit, as a plot twist and a big escape scene happens earlier than expected. However, this is balanced by an amazing soundtrack, which does wonders to keep the viewer’s attention. Kiss’s “I Was Made for Lovin’ You” is a recurring theme throughout the movie, but AC/DC, Phil Collins, and even Taylor Swift make an appearance.
Comedic but with the right amount of grit and gore, the movie successfully uplifts the Hollywood stunt community. So tumble, roll, crash, and fall your way to see The Fall Guy.