Most Acrophobic Thriller Got a Sequel – It Doesn't Hit the Same Heights, but Still Worth the Climb

In 2022, Fall had millions of viewers worldwide gripping their armrests as they watched two young women desperately struggle atop an abandoned TV tower.

Directed by Scott Mann, the movie was a massive hit thanks to its masterfully crafted suspense and dizzying sense of height.

Now, the sequel, Fall 2: Deadpoint, has arrived. True to form, it follows the classic formula: bigger, higher, and more dangerous. Yet beneath the spectacular visuals lies a noticeable loss of the original's edge and extreme spirit.

What Is 'Fall 2: Deadpoint' About?

The sequel begins after the tragic death of Shiloh Hunter. To honor her memory, her younger sister, Jax, gives Shiloh's car, which contains many of her personal mementos, to her friend Luce.

The young women discover Shiloh's diary in the trunk: it's filled with notes about the mountain peaks she had dreamed of conquering. Inspired by these dreams, Jax and Luce travel to Thailand to climb Mount Kwan.

With the help of a guide, Jon, they find a dangerous wooden trail. However, a sudden rockfall leaves them trapped on a small ledge ominously called The Devil's Elbow.

'Fall 2: Deadpoint' Is Bigger in Scale but Not Scarier Than the Original

Fall 2 is a prime example of immense potential squandered: over the course of the ninety-minute flick, we're treated to dizzying heights and breathtaking vistas visible from a weathered wooden walkway that looks ready to crumble at any moment.

Yet, strangely enough, there's hardly any fear or tension, even for those afraid of heights. The original Fall didn't have a complex plot, but it made you feel the fragility of the old structure and the characters' exhaustion almost physically.

The original's strength lay in the fact that Shiloh and Becky were perched on a tower with constant views of the danger behind them. In the sequel, however, Jax and Luce spend most of the movie pressed against the mountain face, which deprives the story of that crucial sense of vertical peril.

Films like 127 Hours proved that mountain survival stories can be terrifying, but the creators of Fall 2 lacked the imagination to devise compelling challenges for the characters.

'Fall 2: Deadpoint' Offers a Familiar Experience With New Details

The sequel offers a fresh experience while feeling simultaneously familiar. The survival scenario shifts from a desolate setting to picturesque Thailand, and the plot incorporates tragedy's impact on social media and criminal intrigue. The survival terrain also expands, including not only a precarious mountain path, but also a rickety suspension bridge.

However, the movie arguably suffers from this addition because the sense of an intimate scale is lost, and the uneven pacing becomes more disrupted.

Fall 2 adds layers and conflict to the backstories of the first movie's protagonists, yet, a lack of structural creativity and repetitive plot details lead to a sense of déjà vu.

The original was never the most profound survival thriller, but the sequel's script is even more superficial, and the dialogue is full of clichés.

Fall 2 perks up, and even delivers some scares, in its final half hour – a sequence involving a trek across planks nailed to metal spikes jutting from the mountain is genuinely nerve-wracking. With its engaging drama, decent visuals, and passable entertainment value, the sequel serves as decent popcorn fare.

The cliffhanger ending promises to shake up the formula for a third installment by transplanting the familiar survival premise to a new location.

What Did Critics & Viewers Think of 'Fall 2: Deadpoint'?

• Fall 2: Deadpoint has 57% from critics and 63% from viewers on Rotten Tomatoes.

• On IMDb, the movie has a score of 5.6/10.

• On Letterboxd, Fall 2: Deadpoint scored 2.3/5.0.

Where to Watch 'Fall 2: Deadpoint'?

Fall 2: Deadpoint is currently playing in theaters.