Movie Review: ‘The Fall Guy’

“The Fall Guy” is a loose film adaptation of the 1980s television series of the same name. The film is directed by David Leitch, who may be recognized from his 2022 film, “Bullet Train.” “The Fall Guy” is a film about a stunt performer who gets entangled in a dark plot while trying to finish a film for his ex-girlfriend turned director. 

This film has a mildly interesting plot, half-decent comedy, a believable romance arc and typical action sequences, which is  to be expected from a PG-13 film. However, “The Fall Guy” is still a good film. 

“The Fall Guy” may not be as entertaining as Leitch’s previous movie, “Film,” but it is much more endearing and elicits more personal feelings. 

According to IMDb Leitch himself was a stuntman and stunt coordinator before moving to the directors chair, and audiences can feel the resonation from his past through the action portrayed in the film. 

As usual with Leitch films, the film contains many visual effect scenes instead of practical effects, but all of the stunts throughout the movie are real – utilizing real stunt men to perform dangerous actions. 

The protagonist, Colt Seavers — portrayed by Ryan Gosling — is a stuntman who falls in love with a camera operator on set, Jody Moreno, who is played by Emily Blunt. Tragically, Seavers is injured during a stunt and decides to leave the film industry. This is where the film begins. 

Seavers is told that Moreno, who is now his ex-girlfriend, needs his help on her directorial debut. 

Just a reminder, watching this film is not a sign to go crawling back to your ex, you deserve better — this movie is not an accurate representation of life.

What follows is fairly expected. Gosling plays a brooding stud who can’t seem to get the girl of his dreams even though she is clearly head over heels for him. 

The plot and romance aspect are not why people flocked to this film, though; the film's popularity stems from somewhere else. 

As Gosling said in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, “Obviously this a love letter to the stunt community, they are the hardest-working people in show business. They risk more than anyone. This movie is just a giant campaign to get stunts an Oscar.” 

“The Fall Guy” is very much a feel-good movie. If you just want to sit down and be entertained for two hours, this film is a decent choice – especially since viewers are showing support to a greater cause. 

Because this film is directed by a stunt coordinator and revolves around stuntmen and stuntwomen, you can expect to see maximum chaos to keep you in your seat. 

If viewers are not a fan of the Marvel-style comedy that has become popular in recent years, you may not enjoy the lighthearted physical comedy that this film relies on. This film understands that it is a parody of Hollywood. Because of this self-awareness , it can be over the top for no reason — which is to be expected of a stuntman parody. 

Overall, the film was dull and insipid at times but simultaneously heartfelt and personal. The plot of the story could have been better and more interesting, but when addressing the small details, viewers can tell that this film was created by people who love the industry for people who love the industry. 

In the end, “The Fall Guy” is an endearing film that pays homage to all of the stuntmen and stuntwomen of the industry. The silent professionals who remain under-appreciated for all of their hard work. We can only hope that Gosling and Leitch are successful in their campaign to get these dedicated individuals the recognition they deserve.