The Fall Guy

The Fall Guy feels like the movie David Leitch has been working towards since his debut John Wick, via a path that encompassed Bullet Train, Hobbs & Shaw and Deadpool 2. It’s an old-school romcom packaged in a terrific action bonanza, while paying tribute to the work of stunt performers, the role of which provided the foundation for the director’s own entry point into the industry.

Modernising a classic IP – it’s based on an 80s show of the same name – this feature follows stuntman Colt Seavers (Ryan Gosling) whose career faces a premature end following a horrific accident. If there were ever a reason to return to the stunt world, it’s for the chance to work again with his former flame Jody Moreno (Emily Blunt), who has graduated up the ranks to director, now about to shoot her debut blockbuster Metal Storm in Sydney with the hottest action star in the world, Tom Ryder (Aaron Taylor-Johnson).

Persuaded by Ryder’s agent Gail (Hannah Waddingham) to take the gig, Colt surprises Jody on set in a frosty reunion, where Jody continues to harbour anger at Colt for axing her from his life when he was in recovery. However, she welcomes him on set the only way she knows how – by exercising the tyrannical control of a director. As she subjects him to dozens of takes of the film’s toughest stunts while Ryder disappears, we learn more about the extent of their relationship through Metal Storm’s allegory of a human-alien relationship that we understand is rooted in the history of Jody and Colt’s own.

It makes for a genuinely romantic movie that buzzes from the chemistry between its amazingly talented leads, both of whom can effortlessly offer the humour and pathos needed for the ride. It’s a long ride, however, running for over two hours with a couple of false endings that allow Leitch to continue indulging in his sand pit, even if the audience has already spent a satisfactory amount of time playing in there with him. Length aside, The Fall Guy is an absolute joy, providing the funniest cinematic experience in some time, while honouring the craft of stunt work in a moving way, even finding a moment to lobby for overdue recognition at the Oscars. Here’s hoping that the Academy listens.

Musanna Ahmed

The Fall Guy is released nationwide on 2^nd May 2024.

Watch the trailer for The Fall Guy here: