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"Drop" is a rare kind of movie that knows exactly what it is: silly, fun, thrilling, and occasionally too ridiculous for its own good. It never cowers away or tries to be something it's not - and that's why it's so good and effective. Christopher Landon's film is successful because it leans into its own world's rules and delivers a very entertaining 95-minute ride at the movies, the type that used to pack audiences in on a Friday night.

Meghann Fahy stars as Violet. As the movie opens, we learn she has been through something traumatic in her life that has left her a widowed mother to her young son Toby (Jacob Robinson). Violet hasn't been on a date since before her son was born, but she matched with Henry (Brandon Sklenar) on a dating app and is meeting him at a swanky Chicago restaurant. She has her hesitations about going on a date, but her persistent sister Jen (Violett Beane) convinces her to not back out.

Violet is on edge entering the restaurant because she doesn't feel ready to dip her toe back into the dating pool. When Henry arrives to the restaurant, she kindly asks if he minds that she keeps her phone on the table because she is anxious being away from her son for the first time. Henry obliges, but her phone keeps buzzing with mysterious "digi-drops," which are strange memes from an unknown number. Violet writes it off as someone playing a joke, but the drops become more threatening and personal - including threats to her son's well-being.

The mystery of the movie is who is sending Violet such threatening messages and why. It's someone in the restaurant because a person has to be in a 50-foot radius for the message to go through, but she is unable to detect who it could be. She's instructed to not let Henry know what she's being sent or her son dies.

Watching Violet have to run around the restaurant, while making up excuses to Henry, adds a layer of stress to the entertainment of "Drop." How is she going to explain her millionth reason for needing to leave the table? Of course, the movie wants everyone to feel like a suspect, but Violet having to constantly lie to Henry creates palpable tension (on top of the tension already felt from her being on her first date in years).

Fahy and Sklenar have great rapport together, playing off each other's first date nerves. Fahy has to bring the terror and panic, while Sklenar balances being supportive to her and confused about why she's acting so erratic. Fahy's character, in particular, is written with a level of nuance not always found in a studio thriller, and she plays each note with steadiness without going over-the-top in the name of cheap thrills.

"Drop" is fun and effective, but it's still a studio thriller with plenty of contrivances that feel unexplained and convenient for the sake of moving the plot forward. Landon (along with screenwriters Jillian Jacobs and Christopher Roach) find the right balance of moving the film forward without ever cheapening it with too many plot mechanics. "Drop" is just some good old-fashion fun.