Posts
Becky's World: Drowning in Grief. Hunter's Intervention: A Radical Cure for Depression?
The Unstable Ladder and the Question of Logic
"Fall": Friendship on the Fritz, Heights That'll Make You Sweat, and a Ladder That's Asking for Trouble
Okay, so I finally got around to watching Fall, that movie where two best friends decide the best way to cope with grief is to climb a ridiculously tall, abandoned radio tower. Yeah, you heard that right. And while the views (both in the movie and conceptually) are pretty wild, there's a whole lot more to unpack than just sweaty palms.
At its heart, Fall isn't just about surviving a terrifyingly high fall (or, you know, not falling at all). It’s really digging into the complicated friendship between Becky, who's understandably devastated after losing her husband, and Hunter, her adventurous and, let's be honest, slightly reckless bestie. Hunter's got this "brilliant" idea: they should climb this 2,000-foot tower as a way for Becky to face her fears and, in Hunter's mind, start living again. It's like an extreme form of therapy, and you can't help but wonder if her intentions are truly pure, or if there's a bit of thrill-seeking selfishness mixed in.
You see Becky at rock bottom, completely consumed by her loss. Hunter swoops in with this crazy plan, framing it as empowerment. It makes you think about how we try to help our friends through tough times, and sometimes our "solutions," no matter how well-meaning, can be a little… out there. In Hunter's case, "out there" is literally thousands of feet in the air on a rusty ladder.
Speaking of that ladder… let's just address the elephant (or should I say, the unstable metal structure) in the room. From the moment they started climbing, my inner voice was screaming, "NOPE. NOPE. NOPE." This thing looked like it had seen better decades, and the fact that they not only noticed it was shaky but kept going anyway? That’s where the movie asks you to suspend your disbelief so high, it might just reach the top of the tower before they do.
Seriously, if you saw a ladder that janky in your garage, you wouldn't trust it to reach the attic, let alone take you halfway to the stratosphere. The movie kind of breezes past this, relying on the characters' determination (or maybe desperation?) to keep the plot moving. But as a viewer, it’s hard not to think, "Girl, turn around! There are other ways to process grief that don't involve risking your life on what looks like a strong breeze could topple."
But here’s where it gets interesting. Despite the "are you serious?" factor of the ladder situation, the film does a decent job of making you invest in Becky's fight for survival. Maybe Hunter’s crazy plan, as flawed and unbelievable as it was, did actually force Becky to confront something. Up on that tiny platform, with no way down, she has to find a way to live. Her grief transforms, not magically disappearing, but morphing into a fierce will to get back to the ground.
And let's not forget the twist! (No spoilers here if you haven't seen it, but trust me, it adds another layer to their already complicated friendship). This moment really makes you question Hunter's motives even more and highlights how their bond, tested by grief and gravity, starts to fray in unexpected ways.
Ultimately, Fall is a wild ride. It’s got those edge-of-your-seat moments that'll have you clutching your armrest (even if you're just watching it on your couch, like I was today, while it was conveniently raining outside!). But beyond the heart-stopping heights and the frankly unbelievable ladder, it’s a look at how friendship can be both a lifeline and a source of questionable decisions, especially when mixed with grief and a desperate need for change.
What did you think of Fall? Did you buy the ladder situation, or were you yelling at the screen like me? Let's chat in the comments below!
