Within the last decade, the first weekend of May was generally been occupied by a new superhero film as an unofficial kickoff for the summer movie season. Due to a series of scheduling changes as a result of the 2023 SAG and WGA strikes, Marvel Studios was unable to slate a new film for the release window; summer2024 beganwithDavid Leitch’s action comedyThe Fall Guy. Based on the popular television series of the same name starringLee Majors,The Fall Guyis a massive love letter to action cinema and stunt performers. It may feature some of the year’s best action sequences, butThe Fall Guyincorporates elements ofthe neo-noir genre.In fact, it can be argued that the mystery elements of Leitch’s new spectacle are just as compelling as the breathtaking stunt sequences that were so dominant throughout the marketing campaign.
The allusions to classic detective cinema aren’t all that surprising when considering the creative talent behindThe Fall Guy; Leitch’s previous filmsAtomic BlondeandJohn Wickwere able to use their death-defying hand-to-hand combat and gunplay to advance a conspiracy narrative,adding complexity to the standard action premise.Ryan Goslingis himself a veteran of the noir genre, having starred in such modern classics as the neo-thrillerDriveandthe vastly underrated dark comedyThe Nice Guys. However,The Fall Guyhomages both action and noir classics in a manner that appeases fans of both genres.
‘The Fall Guy’ Uses a Noir Framing Device
One of the hallmarks ofany classic hard-boiled detective storyis a sizzling opening monologue in which the protagonist explains the parameters of their working environment to the viewer; in the case of infamous sleuths like Sam Spade or Phillip Marlowe, comments made about the corrupt city that they work in help to ground the story within a gritty tone.The Fall Guyutilized voiceovers from Gosling’s Colt Seavers to explain the world of stunt performances, giving insight on the expertise that the craft requires. While Gosling’s inherent sense of humor adds a cheekiness to the dialogue, it’s evident that Colt is distanced from the spectacle of Hollywood; his profession is often taken for granted, and he doesn’t receive nearly the same attention that the famous action star Tom Ryder (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) does. Similar to Spade or Marlowe, Colt is an outsider who has grown rather cynical about the craft he’s dedicated his life to. This serves as a compelling gateway into the film’s satire about the way that Hollywood really operates; while Colt isn’t himself an “insider,” he does have a good deal of knowledge about trade secrets that make him uniquely qualified to go on a secret mission that the rest of the industry is keen to cover up.
Ryan Gosling Played a Superhero and No One Even Remembers It
He wasn’t exactly the most impressive superhero, either.
Like the protagonists ofmany classic noirs,Colt is a reluctant hero who had previously sworn off returning to his industry. While being a stunt performer routinely exposes him to significant danger, Colt broke his back whilst performing a dangerous action sequence on the set of Ryder’s latest blockbuster; the critical injury he suffered, as well as Ryder’s lack of compassion, was enough to cast doubt on his future making movies. The joy of noir cinema is seeing a grizzled, past-their-prime hero have to redeem themselves when it’s evident that they are the only one capable of solving a case. When Ryder disappears, executive producer Gale Meyers (Hannah Waddingham) knows that she can’t go to law enforcement, as any controversy could derail the film’s production. Colt may have his misgivings about the direction the industry is headed, but the nontraditional skills he’s acquired over the course of his career make him perfectly suited toexposing Hollywood’s seedy underbelly.
‘The Fall Guy’ Is at Its Best When It’s a Mystery
Given Leitch’s track record of incorporating intense action sequences, it should be of no surprise thatThe Fall Guycontains more than a few incredible set pieces. However,a majority ofThe Fall Guyfocuses on Colt searching for clues relating to Ryder’s disappearance. After infiltrating Ryder’s apartment alongside the stunt coordinator Dan Tucker (Winston Duke), Colt has to translate the peculiar actor’s cryptic notes in order to trace his location. Depicting the intelligence that Colt makes him a more endearing protagonist; while he can more than handle himself in a brawl, Colt is selected for his assignment because of the depth of his knowledge. Many of the film’s best sequences involve Colt sneaking between iconic Hollywood locations as he discovers Ryder’s disappearance is far more complicated than it initially seemed.
Although the problem-solving elementmakes the action scenes more inventive,The Fall Guyuses its mystery factor to incorporate the inherent romanticism of the noir genre. Noir heroes may put on tough, overtly masculine personas, but they’re often far less impenetrable than they pretend to be; often, their motivations are as simple as love. InThe Fall Guy, Colt’s attempt to save an actor he has no respect for lies in the hope of reuniting with the director Jody Moreno (Emily Blunt), who he once shared a romantic connection with. Colt’s belief in Jodie is what draws him out of his shell; in turn, Jody’s enthusiasm about her new film reminds Colt why he wanted to be a stuntman in the first place. While Jodie may not be a typical “femme fatale” like those often seen in noir films, she occupies the same role of drawing Colt into a dangerous world that he wouldn’t have necessarily taken part in otherwise.
One of the fundamental aspects ofmany murder mystery moviesis the feeling of things being unresolved, which is certainly true inThe Fall Guy. In the same way that Spade is expected to go on other spy missions after the events ofThe Maltese Falcon, Colt suggests that he may have more adventures left in him if he continues to work on new movies with Jody. While the threat that Ryder had presented was resolved, that doesn’t mean that Hollywood is now free of any manipulative stars, producers, and moguls that seek to benefit from the hard work done by people like Colt who are just trying to make an honest living. Although the disappointing box office results forThe Fall Guysuggest that a sequel is most likely not in the cards, ending the story on a note of ambiguity is one of the film’s stronger references to the classic sleuth stories that Leitch was seemingly drawing from.
‘The Fall Guy’ Addresses Noir’s Anti-Authoritarian Themes
Noir cinema is exciting because the audience is constantly forced to second guess their assumptions; each revelation leads to more questions, as coincidencesoften prove to be part of a larger conspiracy.The Fall Guyutilizes a mystery that exposes the seedy underbelly of the film industry; Colt’s accident was due to an erratic decision by Ryder, who believes that his fame has made him impervious to consequences. The personal feud between the two characters makesThe Fall Guy’s third act more exciting. Colt isn’t just trying to save Jody from danger; he needs to reveal Ryder’s misdeeds and hold the powerful accountable. There’s a selflessness to Colt’s actions that goes beyond even his love of Jody, as he is trying to ensure that the work of stunt performers is respected. Ryder’s actions aren’t just erratic; they threaten to confirm rumors about the hazardous conditions on movie sets that could result in a massive decline in audience viewership. The fact thatThe Fall Guyis itself fighting to protect the sanctity of the summer movie season only makes this piece of meta-commentary more well-rounded.
The financial underperformance ofThe Fall Guyis one of the biggest disappointments of the summer 2024 movie season, as it was expected that the film might perform strongly based on the united star power of Blunt and Gosling in the wake ofOppenheimerandBarbie. Despite the film’s positive reviews, including raves at its premiere at the SXSW film festival in Austin, it seems as ifThe Fall Guywas simply asking audiences to invest in a piece of intellectual property that they weren’t familiar with. When looking at the summer’s biggest hits, films likeDeadpool & Wolverine, Inside Out 2, Despicable Me 4, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes,andAlien: Romuluswere all direct sequels or continuations to franchises that had a recent installment within the last decade. Ostensibly,The Fall Guyhad to market itself as if it was an entirely original movie.
The Fall Guymay exclusively be about stunt performers, but it’s really a love letter to many genres;the film incorporates elements of romance, comedy, action, and mysteryto give viewers a full portrait of what the ideal summer blockbuster looks like. In fact, the scenes between Gosling and Blunt are so utterly captivating that it is easy to pitch the film as a romantic comedy first and foremost, and an action movie second. Despite the success of recent mystery movies likeKnives OutandA Haunting in Venice, the majority of the best noir stories told today seem to exist on prestige television shows that have the benefit of telling narratives throughout several episodes. That being said, the strong influence of noir withinThe Fall Guyonly indicates whythe genre continues to produce new classics.It’s not a genre that is going away anytime soon, especially when filmmakers like Leitch are so interested in paying homage to the past.
The Fall Guyis now available to stream on Peacock in the U.S.
The Fall Guy
Colt Seavers is a stuntman who left the business a year earlier to focus on both his physical and mental health. He’s drafted back into service when the star of a mega-budget studio movie, which is being directed by his ex, goes missing.
Watch on Peacock
