I Watched 'The Fall Guy' in Theaters — Why It Deserves Better

Everyone Skipped This Movie, and That's a Shame

When The Fall Guy came out in May, the box office numbers were dismal. It opened to around $28 million domestically, which sounds fine until you realize it cost $130 million to make. The internet declared it a flop, the discourse moved on, and most people forgot about it. But I went to see it on opening weekend, and I've been thinking about it ever since. Not because it's a masterpiece — it's not — but because it's exactly the kind of movie Hollywood doesn't make anymore, and that's why we should celebrate it.

The Fall Guy is a loose adaptation of the 1980s TV show of the same name. Ryan Gosling plays Colt Seavers, a stuntman who gets injured on set and later gets pulled back into the chaotic world of movie-making when the star of a big-budget film goes missing. Emily Blunt plays his ex-girlfriend, a first-time director trying to finish her movie. It's an action-comedy, a romance, and a love letter to the stunt community all rolled into one.

The Stunt Work Is Genuinely Impressive

Here's what most people don't realize: The Fall Guy used practical stunts. Real cars flipping, real jumps, real crashes. The director, David Leitch, is a former stuntman himself (he was Brad Pitt's double in Fight Club), and he insisted on doing as much practically as possible. The result is a movie that feels visceral in a way that CGI-heavy blockbusters don't. There's a scene where Gosling's character jumps off a 150-foot dam and free-falls before a parachute opens. That was a real stunt performed by a professional. You can feel the weight, the danger, the physics. It's thrilling in a way that no amount of green screen can replicate.

I watched an interview with the stunt coordinator afterward, and he said they wanted to show audiences what real stunt performers do every day. Most people don't realize that the actors you see in action movies are rarely doing the dangerous stuff. It's the stunt team. This movie puts them front and center, and it's about time.

Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt Have Genuine Chemistry

This shouldn't surprise anyone who saw Barbie last year, but Gosling is a fantastic comedic actor. He plays Colt as a charming, slightly hapless guy who's good at his job but terrible at relationships. His timing is perfect. Emily Blunt is equally great as the stressed-out director trying to keep her movie together while dealing with her ex. Their banter feels real, not scripted. There's a scene where they argue over a walkie-talkie while a helicopter chase is happening in the background, and it's both hilarious and sweet. Movies rarely balance action and romance this well.

The Problem: Marketing and Timing

So why did it flop? I think the marketing was confused. The trailers made it look like a generic action-comedy, not the meta, self-aware movie it actually is. It also came out between Dune: Part Two and Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, both of which dominated the conversation. People didn't know what to make of it. Plus, original movies (not sequels, not remakes, not IP) have a harder time getting audiences to theaters. It's a shame, because The Fall Guy is more original than most of what's playing.

Is It Worth Watching?

Absolutely. If you want a fun, well-made action movie that doesn't take itself too seriously, go stream it (it's on Peacock now in the US). It's not going to change cinema, but it will make you smile. And it might make you appreciate the unsung heroes of every action movie: the stunt performers. That alone makes it worth the watch.