The Fall Guy is a great old-school Hollywood action comedy – extremely enjoyable, full of star power and sometimes too in-your-face for its own good.
Now, all that is just "sexy bacon bits" (to use the movie's own terms) surrounding the meat of David Leitch's ultimate goal, which is to create a heartfelt love letter to stunt work in Hollywood. Stuntmen are often invisible figures for audiences, but in this story they get to be the heroes as their essential work is explored and celebrated.
Their unbeatable champion is Ryan Gosling, who, following Barbie's box-office hit last year, proves once again he was made for comedy. There is some Kenergy running through his character's veins, as his mix of endearing cluelessness and killer fighting moves completely steals the show.
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The story, based on the Lee Majors-starring '80s television show, follows stuntman Colt Seavers (Gosling) as he decides to go back to work a year after a tragic injury on set.
The reason is Jody Moreno (Emily Blunt), a former lover who is about to make her debut as a filmmaker with global star Tom Ryder (Aaron Taylor-Johnson). According to Ryder's manager Gail Meyer (Hannah Waddingham), Jodie is in need of the star's former stuntman.
Although he seems content working as a parking guy in some random restaurant in Los Angeles, Colt faces his fears in order to pick up where he left off. Unfortunately, Jody is not so keen on resuming whatever it is they had: she is still hurt by how Colt shut her out completely after his injury.
All is not lost though — as the star of the movie mysteriously disappears, Colt is tasked to find him and save Jody's film. It's an opportunity to make it up to her, and to prove he can be the hero offscreen too.
Gosling is what makes everything click in this movie, as his good vibes with Emily Blunt make every explosion worthwhile. Blunt, radically changing register after her role in Oscar-winner Oppenheimer, is clearly having fun every step of the way. This Barbenheimer union feels fated.
The Fall Guy has the right amount of action, comedy and romance, a winning formula that never wavers despite an overcomplicated plot and some tone-deaf jokes (like one mentioning Johnny Depp and Amber Heard's divorce). Drew Pearce's script is not perfect, but Gosling and Blunt make up for any missteps.
What the story nails is that classic screwball-comedy feeling, which sees the main couple constantly bantering until their feelings are too strong to hide.
Not that Colt Seavers is hiding anything – in one of the funniest scenes, Gosling cries while singing 'All Too Well' by Taylor Swift in a car, and it's only the actor's irresistible charisma that prevents the moment from being cringey.
Filled with all kinds of movie quotes (from Fast & Furious and Lord of the Rings to Notting Hill) and offering a peek at how blockbusters are made, The Fall Guy is made for movie fans.
As a former stuntman himself, Leitch feels the right pick to lead this tribute, which portrays stunt work with incredible care and admiration. While drawing bits from his previous work, from Deadpool 2's narrative voiceover to Bullet Train's upbeat action sequences, he lets the stunts speak for themselves.
Shout out to the first sequence, a long "oner" (a scene with no cuts) that takes us through a movie set alongside Ryan Gosling and ends up with an impressive stunt performed by Gosling himself.
Of course, a movie celebrating stunt work would include large amounts of practical effects instead of heavy CGI settings, and it's a joy to see.
The Fall Guy is released in UK cinemas on May 2.
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Deputy Movies Editor, Digital Spy
Mireia (she/her) has been working as a movie and TV journalist for over seven years, mostly for the Spanish magazine Fotogramas.
Her work has been published in other outlets such as Esquire and Elle in Spain, and WeLoveCinema in the UK.
She is also a published author, having written the essay Biblioteca Studio Ghibli: Nicky, la aprendiz de bruja about Hayao Miyazaki's Kiki's Delivery Service.
During her years as a freelance journalist and film critic, Mireia has covered festivals around the world, and has interviewed high-profile talents such as Kristen Stewart, Ryan Gosling, Jake Gyllenhaal and many more. She's also taken part in juries such as the FIPRESCI jury at Venice Film Festival and the short film jury at Kingston International Film Festival in London.
Now based in the UK, Mireia joined Digital Spy in June 2023 as Deputy Movies Editor.
