The Fall Guy is gearing up to be another smash hit for box office titan filmmaker David Leitch. As well as a string of positive reviews from critics, the movie grossed $28.5 million in its first weekend. This has further cemented David Leitch as a leading director in Hollywood and solidified Ryan Gosling as a leading man.
Focusing on stuntman Colt Seavers (Gosling), The Fall Guy charts his journey to win back his ex-girlfriend Jody (Emily Blunt). However, his mission isn’t as straightforward as showing up to her window with an acoustic guitar. Instead, he agrees to track down the missing lead star of her movie when he vanishes, only to be thrust into a conspiracy that makes him a wanted man. As the movie continues to climb at the box office, let’s break down why it is a perfect slice of action nostalgia beefed up for the modern age.
Ryan Gosling Cements Himself as a Multifaceted Leading Man
Ryan Gosling has already congealed his status as a leading man in Hollywood, with three Oscar nominations to show for it. In The Fall Guy, his rendition feels like a culmination of his wide array of roles. Throughout his career, he has displayed intensity and understated nuance in movies like Drive and The Place Beyond the Pines. He has throbbed hearts across the globe in movies like The Notebook and La La Land, and he has showcased his comedic chops in movies like The Nice Guys and Crazy, Stupid, Love. As Colt Seavers, Gosling fuses together all of his dramatic talents to create a formidable hero who is flawed yet brave, witty and enthralling.
After starring in 2023’s biggest movie of the year, Barbie, Gosling’s role in The Fall Guy had big shoes to fill. While the film is an ensemble piece, it feels very much like Gosling’s vehicle. As a man coming out of exile, Gosling plays Colt with a level of venerability that makes him impossible to not warm to instantly. With a bruised ego from a career-ending injury, Colt not only has to battle his enemies, but also himself as he tries to make amends for his mistakes. In the process, he rises to the occasion, becoming a true hero. While this isn’t Gosling’s first foray into the action genre, The Fall Guy stands out as the movie that really propels him into the realm of today’s biggest action stars, echoing the charm of Bruce Willis in the 80s.
The Fall Guy Is Both a Nostalgic 80s Throwback and a Relevant Action Flick
Laced with humour, a driving undertone of romance, and giant spectacles of action, The Fall Guy is reminiscent of an action movie from the late 80s and early 90s. Interestingly, this is the time when director David Leitch arrived in Hollywood and began working as a stunt performer. From here, he executed the stunts for actors like Brad Pitt and Matt Damon. However, during that time he was also honing his skills as a filmmaker, soaking in the entire process, equipping himself with the tools to create his own action movies.
The Fall Guy is David Leitch’s fifth movie as a director, following on from box office smash hits like Fast & Furious: Hobbs & Shaw and Deadpool 2. With these films, Leitch crafted the ability to seamlessly blend action and comedy. With The Fall Guy, Leitch has arrived at the movie where his unique style is really felt. Playful humour is present, the action scenes are intense despite the movie’s PG-13 rating, and the nostalgic nod to classic action movies is paid in homage instead of carbon copying. What’s more, by exploring themes like the dangers of AI and deep faking, Leitch brings forth an extremely relevant conversation that needs to be explored now more than ever.
How The Fall Guy Opens Up a Dialogue To a Pressing Matter in Hollywood
The conversation surrounding the often-overlooked contributions of stunt performers in Hollywood has been gaining traction as the scale and complexity of action scenes in movies continue to escalate. With filmmakers pushing boundaries to deliver increasingly breathtaking and jaw-dropping stunts, the risks faced by stunt performers have also grown, leading to tragic incidents where performers have lost their lives while attempting to execute these high-stakes sequences. The demand for realistic and visually stunning action has never been higher, yet the sacrifices and dangers faced by stunt performers often go unacknowledged. To that, there has been rallying over the last few years for stunt performers to be acknowledged by the Academy Awards. As a former stuntman, David Leitch leans into this conversation with The Fall Guy.
At the beginning of the movie, the tone quickly shifts from light-hearted to dramatic when Colt is severely injured while carrying out a stunt. While the comedy picks back up at rapid speed, Colt’s PTSD around the accident is explored, offering an insight into the dangers of the stunt world and the effects it can have on the often overlooked heroes behind the scenes. What’s more, Leitch pokes fun at the Oscars’ inability to recognise the talent and dedication that stunt performers possess in movies. To close things off, The Fall Guy, a movie about a stuntman, pays homage to the actual stunt team behind the movie during the ending credits, with dazzling B-roll of the actual stunts being performed. Given that the movie is proving to be a huge success, this call to action will likely be heard by The Academy, therefore opening up the dialogue even further. Want to read more about the stunt performers of Hollywood? Here’s 5 stunt performers who became actors.
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