The Wasteland Reviewer

Fall 2: Deadpoint (2026) Written Review

What is in the power of a twist? When the movie Fall came out, many people were shocked by a certain revelation and loved the outcome. But a narrative twist is always a risky experience. Such a twist can feel like a betrayal of the story or just feel like some cheap shock value. Generally, this shocking twist in Fall grabbed plenty of attention and delivered a solid box office success for the film. Since this little thriller gained some attention, they decided to invest in a sequel with the Spierig Brothers (Daybreakers and Predestination) behind the camera. 

How does this unexpected sequel build off the original film? Fall did not seem like a film that screamed “sequel”, but this finds a direct connection. Shiloh’s death in the first film inspires her sister Jax to fulfill a book full of crazy climbs. Trading a giant metal tower for the slops and flimsy planks of Mount Kwan in Thailand, Fall 2: Deadpoint opened the door for a variety of set pieces. The deep emotional connection to the first film does give a film some marginal depth but it is hard to fully buy-in when Jax’s decision feels so unwise and reckless. Teaming up with Shiloh’s friend Luce, the two go with a guide on an illegal venture on some perilous “bridges” on the side of this mountain. There are a few different set pieces with precarious danger that opens the door for some thrills. But in the same vein as the first film, there is a narrative twist that swings in towards the end. Instead of a character-based shock, this one delivers a whole subplot to the film that feels completely unnecessary. A film like Fall 2 does not need human antagonists to be an effective story but screenwriters Jonathan Frank and Scott Mann felt the need to add one that feels so tacked on. Overall, the narrative feels a little too shallow to warrant even a modest runtime of 97 minutes. 

How do the Spierig Brothers bring their own twists to this franchise behind the camera? The most important parts of Fall 2 are when the characters are desperately trying to survive the precarious situations throughout the film. The Spierig Brothers and cinematographer Andrew Strahorn capture a sense of danger with the scale and height of these set pieces. There are some genuine suspense and terror that they construct that makes the film at least a thrilling experience. For a fill with a modest runtime, the pacing certainly is uneven as the whole concept of the film does get a little repetitive (and the added “fourth act” twist just drags the pacing down even more). This whole concept for a film is not a tough nut to crack. Give the audience some harrowing set pieces and a strong sense of danger and you have them in the palm of your hand. Those aspects of the film are achieved in a rock-solid manner. The film does attempt some serious drama with sisterly grief but that mostly feels a tad too melodramatic to connect in a deep way. One nice element of the film is a social media influencer montage at the beginning of the film that sets the tone for the world-building that connects the film (and it is an effective choice). 

Does the film get an added boost from the actors? This is not the type of film where you are looking for awards caliber performances. But it is a horror/thriller, and many have given space to talented young women to shine. For Fall 2, Harriet Slater takes the reins from Virginia Gardner. There is plenty of grief for Slater’s Jax to process and she does a fine job along the way. She also sells the “scream queen” elements of the performance as she needs to sell the fear of these wild and daring stunts. Most of the rest of the cast are passable or feel like lesser-known performances going for the vibes of more famous ones. The suspicious guide of the film feels like a less charismatic David Corenswet. At least the film can boast a central performance that feels solid enough to anchor the film. 

Does Fall 2: Deadpoint live up to the hidden gem status of the first film? This sequel never quite reaches the level of justifying itself. The film never felt the need to make a follow-up for the first film, so a sequel felt like a strange choice to begin with. The set turns out to be solid enough to understand why the story continues. There are some solid emotions and some good thrills along the way. Overly long (for what it is) and some misguided narrative choices muddies the water quite a bit. Overall, this is a forgettable sequel that will probably arrive quietly at the cinemas.