The Fall Guy is a 2024 action comedy-thriller film directed by David Leitch (Deadpool 2, Bullet Train) and written by Drew Pearce (Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation). It is an adaptation of the 1980s TV series of the same name created by Glen A. Larson, and is scheduled to have a world premiere at SXSW on March 12, 2024.
After leaving the business one year earlier, battle-scarred stuntman Colt Seavers (Ryan Gosling) springs back into action when the star of a big studio movie suddenly disappears. As the mystery surrounding the missing actor deepens, Colt soon finds himself ensnared in a sinister plot that pushes him to the edge of a fall more dangerous than any stunt.
The cast includes Ryan Gosling (La La Land, Blade Runner 2049, Barbie) Emily Blunt (A Quiet Place, Oppenheimer), Aaron Taylor-Johnson, and Winston Duke.
The Fall Guy made its debut in theaters on May 3rd, courtesy of Universal Pictures.
I have been pumped for the release of The Fall Guy for months for several reasons, but most notably was the involvement of two of my absolute favorites in Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt. I wasn’t super familiar with the series from the 80’s the film drew inspiration from, but once I saw the first trailer I knew my excitement was warranted. As I leaned back in my comfy reclining movie theater seat with a bucket of warm buttered popcorn I knew this movie needed to be pretty damn good to match my expectations, and I am pleased to say it was that and then some.
The Fall Guy opens with narration from Gosling’s character Cole Seavers as he is ultimately the focus of the film. Seavers is an accomplished yet somehow modest stuntman who embraces the mantra of take a licking and keep on ticking. He gets his ass kicked day in and day out on movie sets, but a certain camera operator named Jody (Emily Blunt) catches his eye and the two form a connection that has the potential to blossom into something special. But after Cole is the victim of a brutal on-set accident leaving him reeling with a broken back and a damaged ego, Cole disappears leaving Jody in the wind leading to an awkward and hilarious sequence of events when the two cross paths a year later. The Fall Guy is packed to the brim with action and great one-liners that will have you laughing for the next week at least.
The story for The Fall Guy is fairly straight forward but very effective within the overall vision for the film. The film is really only loosely based on the old series, but I felt like Drew Pearce was able to successfully adapt the vison from Glen A. Larson as he did a really nice job staying true to the Cole Seavers character even though the overall story trajectory was vastly different. They found a way to create a character that fit Ryan Gosling’s skillset perfectly, making for a guy that is easy to root for while also getting a ton of great laughs out of the audience. The Fall Guy is really a tribute film to the stunt men and women who have gone mostly unnoticed over the years as they put their bodies on the line for our entertainment. The film does a fantastic job paying tribute while still providing a solid story with plenty of meat on the bone. I thought the third act was great and it was so much fun watching it all come together. Plus as you can imagine with Gosling’s involvement the film is hilarious with a ton of great moments that I couldn’t wait to tell my wife about.
Ryan Gosling is the man, that fact is simply undeniable. Now I’m not going to sit here and act like I am a diehard fan of The Notebook or anything ridiculous like that, but you give me Crazy, Stupid, Love., The Place Beyond the Pines, or The Nice Guys and I am all in. The guy just oozes charisma and his on-screen presence is unmatched which is why I am forever a fan of his. Obviously he was on another level in Barbie (our full review here) as well, but you already knew that. The Fall Guy offered the perfect opportunity for him to play to his strengths and he took full advantage delivering an impactful performance as stuntman Cole Seavers.
Now that I have successfully established my healthy man crush on Ryan Gosling I can turn my attention to an actress that leaves me equally star struck, the gorgeous Emily Blunt. First and foremost Blunt is effortlessly beautiful here as she always is, but the chemistry she shares with Gosling really moved the needle for me. The relationship between the two characters is a big driving force for the film and one of the big reasons I enjoyed it so much. I really liked how their relationship was front and center for the film allowing the two stars the opportunity to shine.
Taking on supporting roles are two favorites of mine in Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Winston Duke. I have been a fan of Taylor-Johnson ever since he starred in Kick-Ass (2010), and although he is unrecognizable now considering he seemed to pack on 20lbs of muscle he has blossomed into a damn good actor. My favorite role of his in the last several years would probably be his supporting role in Tom Ford’s 2016 crime thriller Nocturnal Animals. He plays a fairly small role in The Fall Guy as well in terms of screen time although the story is centered around his character. I thought he was fantastic here and it was clear he was having a ton of fun with this role. I mean who wouldn’t jump at the opportunity to crack a few jokes at Ryan Gosling’s expense. Winston Duke, best known for his role as M’Baku in Black Panther plays the stunt coordinator who works directly with Gosling’s character and the two have formed a strong bond over the years. Watching these two together was great as they helped to turn the film into a good old fashioned buddy comedy and I was eating it up. I also enjoyed watching Ted Lasso star Hannah Waddingham play more of the villain role.
Clearly The Fall Guy couldn’t afford to skimp on the action sequences and the film absolutely delivers the goods. I had a blast with all of the fast-paced action sequences, and I really liked how so many of the stunts had the “behind the scenes” feel to them considering the premise of the film. I also read that although Gosling did have stunt doubles for the film, he did perform a few of his own stunts which is pretty damn impressive if you ask me. One of the stunts he takes on himself involves surfing on a metal that is getting pulled by a truck, because why not?! One of my favorite Gosling films is Derek Cianfrance’s 2012 crime drama The Place Beyond the Pines where Gosling performs many of his own stunts which include some intense dirt bike riding. He may not be Tom Cruise Mission Impossible level crazy, but Gosling is more than willing to get his hands dirty so kudos to him.
Stunt man turned director David Leitch has proven to be a godsend for the film industry delivering some of the most epic action films in the last 7 years. His debut film was Atomic Blonde (2017) where he partnered with Charlize Theron and showed all of us what he was capable of, and followed that gem of a film up with Deadpool 2 (2018), Hobbs & Shaw (2019), and most recently an absolute blast of a film starring Brad Pitt, Bullet Train (our full review here). If you see his name attached to a project you can bet your ass the action sequences and stunts will be top-notch, and I am so glad he had the opportunity to make The Fall Guy to pay tribute to his stunt family.
THE VERDICT
An action-packed and laugh-out-loud hilarious tribute to the unsung heroes of the film industry, The Fall Guy unites two of Hollywood’s best in Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt as it triumphantly sends audiences careening into the summer movie season. I can’t even begin to tell you how much replay value this movie has, and I guarantee it will be even better with the second viewing. I just hope the studio makes the decision to release a 4K Blu-ray with bonus content because I will be snagging that baby on day one. Get out there and support the fearless stunt people and see The Fall Guy in theaters as soon as possible, you can thank me later.
TED TAKES RATING - 9.1/10
The Fall Guy is now playing only in theaters. Check out the latest trailer below.