"The Fall Guy" has landed on Prime Video, and I think David Leitch's 2024 action-comedy might finally be getting the second chance it so clearly deserves.
Despite seemingly having all the ingredients for being a summer blockbuster success — a silly, fun sensibility, well-staged action aplenty, and being led by A-list stars — "The Fall Guy" ended up being a box office disappointment, which is a crying shame.
However, its Prime Video release looks like it's getting the movie in front of an awful lot of would-be fans. "The Fall Guy" arrived on Prime Video on Jan. 2, and, at the time of writing, has already laid claim to the No. 1 spot on the streaming service in the U.S.
If you've spotted "The Fall Guy" climbing the Prime Video chart and that's got you intrigued to see what's in store, here's a little bit more info about the movie, and my plea to give it a shot.
What is 'The Fall Guy' about?
"The Fall Guy" sees career stuntman Colt Seavers (Ryan Gosling) being dragged into the limelight for a high-octane, real-life adventure.
Following a sabbatical after sustaining an injury during a stunt gone wrong, Colt returns to work on "Metalstorm", a big-budget blockbuster being directed by his ex, Jody Moreno (Emily Blunt). When the lead star goes missing, Colt tries to track him down to prevent "Metalstorm" from being canceled... and is soon dragged into a dangerous conspiracy centered on the missing star. Can Colt find the lead, solve the crisis and win back the love of his life? You'll have to stream it to find out.
In addition to Gosling and Blunt, "The Fall Guy" also stars Aaron Taylor Johnson, Hannah Waddingham, Teresa Palmer, Stephanie Hsu, and Winston Duke.
Should you stream 'The Fall Guy'?
I still can't really get my head around why "The Fall Guy" ended up being a box office flop for Universal last year. David Leitch's movie is bold, silly fun, and if you were one of the many viewers who skipped it last year, now's the perfect chance to check it out.
It feels, to me, like a solid "Barbie" movie follow-up — which recently landed on Netflix — precisely because it makes the most of Gosling's on-screen charisma, action, and comedy chops. Colt Seavers isn't just a Ken impersonation, but the stuntman's affable, everyman energy is every bit as entertaining and endearing as Gosling's previous big-screen turn. Oh, and Blunt and Gosling are a winning romantic pair that I'm sure you'll be rooting for if you give them a chance.
Plus, with stuntman-turned-director Leitch behind the camera, you best believe that "The Fall Guy" has plenty of genuinely thrilling setpiece moments in store. The script might not be the smartest and you'll probably see the big end coming a mile off, but you have to meet "The Fall Guy" on its terms; this is not meant to be a cerebral movie. What "The Fall Guy" is is simple: it's a funny, zippy comic caper, a real ode to stuntwork, and pure popcorn entertainment.
You don't have to take my word for it, either; at the time of writing, "The Fall Guy" has an 82% critics rating on Rotten Tomatoes, indicating generally favorable reactions.
Case in point, The Guardian's Adrian Horton gave "The Fall Guy" a four-star rating, calling it "a consistently good time, two hours of zingers with impeccable timing, two bona fide movie stars with palpable chemistry, several enjoyably meta send-ups of the business and, of course, plenty of crazy stunts."
Reviewing for The Hollywood Reporter, Lovia Gyarkye praised "The Fall Guy" as "the rare big studio film that feels human." Despite finding fault with the overarching narrative and how the action is stitched together, they nevertheless called "The Fall Guy" "a true delight."
If you're not in the market for popcorn thrills, or you've already streamed "The Fall Guy" but still need something new to stream, check out our guide to the best movies on Prime Video for tons more streaming recommendations.
