The titular “Fall Guy” is Colt Seavers (Ryan Gosling), a dashing stunt performer who suffered an almost career-ending accident that broke his back and spirit 18 months prior. After taking time to heal both his physical and mental health, Colt jumps at the chance to return to the job with the promise of reuniting with his ex Jody Moreno (Emily Blunt) on the set of her directorial debut. Unfortunately, the set is a bit of a mess. The studio isn’t exactly sure what to do with this giant sci-fi romance about a space cowboy who falls in love with an alien. Plus, to make things even worse, the leading man Tom Ryder (Aaron Taylor-Johnson), whom Colt had doubled for long ago, is nowhere to be found. It is executive producer Gail (Hannah Waddingham) who then tasks Colt to find the missing movie star before the production is shut down.
In true action-comedy fashion, Colt falls down a rabbit hole in his search for Tom which leads him to a wild conspiracy. This mystery plot, however, is not very inventive. Some viewers are bound to guess the entire twist rather quickly, but that doesn’t really matter. To paraphrase what a character in the movie says: The mystery is but the sexy bacon bits that surround the actual meat — the stunts. The plot of The Fall Guy is but an excuse to see Ryan Gosling in another performance akin to The Nice Guys. Fresh off his Supporting Actor Oscar nomination for Barbie, Gosling’s delightful deadpan delivery and eagerness to do silly physical comedy make for a hysterical performance that can be quite hypnotic, too. Hypnotic in the way that only a Hollywood hunk like Gosling can pull off so effortlessly.
Ryan Gosling’s performance helps boost the romantic comedy aspect of The Fall Guy, which is a huge highlight of the film. Gosling and Emily Blunt, who’s also coming off her Oscar nomination for Oppenheimer, have incredible chemistry. David Leitch is smart enough to allow the duo to be charismatic superstars and just let them shine together without undercutting any of their romantic tension with forced humor. Colt and Jody share long glances and there are several scenes of the two simply staring at each other in silence — you can’t help but immediately want them to get back together. This is the movie The Lost City wanted to be, the earnest, bombastic studio rom-com with great jokes and stunning action that is led by two bonafide A-listers with magnetic screen presence.
Of course, the star of the show is the stuntwork, and The Fall Guy does not disappoint. While we don’t get intricate John Wick-style fight choreography, the film bombards the audience with so many other kinds of impressive stunts that it’s hard not to stare in awe at the high-level craftsmanship on screen. This is a love letter to the art of stunt performing and everyone who plays a role in bringing stunts to life in the movies, no matter how big or small that role may be. It’s a film that features a song about the lack of Oscar love for stunts, a film where Ryan Gosling’s character spends a good chunk of the film proudly wearing an IATSE sweatshirt.
One small nitpick, though, is that The Fall Guy, despite being a big love letter to stunt performers — it even ends on a hugely entertaining behind-the-scenes look at the making of the film’s stunts during the credits — has no special treatment or shout-out for the actual stunt crew involved. Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio dared to put animators ahead of the voice actors in the end credits to show that they are as big a part of the performances as the celebrities on the poster. The Fall Guy, though, just groups them together, not even highlighting the stunt performers for Ryan Gosling/Colt. Their names don’t appear until after the VFX team’s credit (a weird choice as the CGI vs. practical effects discussion is a big part of the plot).
This small criticism doesn’t impact the story or the film itself, but it still feels like a missed opportunity given how much The Fall Guy highlights the stunt community and widens the public’s perspective on the profession. Part rom-com, part action extravaganza, The Fall Guy is the kind of genuine big-budget crowd-pleaser many people have been longing to see more of.
