The mountain may be high in Fall 2: Deadpoint, but keep expectations low
An underwhelming sequel to the enjoyably focused thriller Fall simply doesn't have high enough highs to compete.
Photo: Lionsgate
The plot of the underwhelming mountain-climbing thriller Fall 2: Deadpoint takes a turn partway through, and it’s the kind of twist that you might hope for if you’ve so far been sidetracked by its watery characterizations and bland dialogue. Plot might not seem to matter in this kind of movie, a fitfully compelling sequel to the thrilling 2022 survival horror pic, this time following an ill-fated expedition up Mount Kwan in Thailand. But then again, so much of the first half of Fall 2: Deadpoint concerns the insubstantial ties that bind its odd couple co-stars, the anxiety-prone Jax (Harriet Slater) and the implacable Luce (Arsema Thomas), that you’ll probably welcome the gonzo twist that completely changes how we see one of these two protagonists.
It’s too bad that revelation not only doesn’t change how Jax and Luce relate to each other, but also doesn’t add much to this adrenaline-fueled entertainment. There are some fun and appropriately dizzying climbing sequences, but even they don’t become scary or tense enough until after the first of two major turning points. Much of Fall 2: Deadpoint is rushed, from its uneven scene-to-scene pacing to its flat line-readings. So much time is wasted teasing, without necessarily developing, potentially enlivening subplots—including a couple of references to surrounding political unrest, as well as flashbacks to Jax’s relationship with her sister Shiloh (Virginia Gardner), who died while attempting a climbing stunt in the first Fall. Instead, we get a story about two characters who, based on their sketchy personalities—Jax looks haunted and motion-sick even before they reach the mountain, while Luce never says die—would likely hate each other in real life.
We ostensibly learn everything we need to know about what motivates Jax and Luce through a uniformly dull mix of declamatory and expository dialogue. United by their shared desire to face their fears—of what though?—and honor Shiloh’s memory by completing the next item on her bucket list, Jax and Luce scale Mount Kwan’s rickety wooden Plank Walk bridge, a thousand feet off the ground and about a foot wide.
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