Film

The Fall Guy

Name: The Fall Guy
Genre: Action, Comedy, Romance
Released: 2024
Cast: Ryan Gosling, Emily Blunt, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Hannah Waddingham, Teresa Palmer

Other titles called The Fall Guy: the 1981 series (ABC).

Car-chase action

A stuntman springs back from near-ruin to solve a Hollywood mystery, rescue a vanished star, and mend his broken romance—all while keeping his day job intact. Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt spark off each other in this affectionate love letter to the unsung craftspeople who make action cinema possible. It's earnest, funny, and genuinely thrilling without pretending to be anything more than a good time.

TMDb rating

3.5

Should you watch it?

Watch it if you like action comedies that treat stunt work as both a joke and a love letter, with a Gosling who can take a punch and still land a one-liner.

Skip it if you find nonstop set-pieces and cheeky jokes about movie-making wearing thin, since the film leans hard on its own self-awareness and the chases rarely let up.

What it asks of you: Over two hours, it keeps switching gears between stunt spectacle, slapstick and a tender romance, so you need to stay loose and roll with quick tonal shifts.

Not sure? Find tonight's pick in a minute.

If you liked this

Bullet Train2022

Brad Pitt as an exhausted assassin on a Japanese train, cracking jokes while solving problems. Fast, colorful, hilarious, and stuffed with character actors having the time of their lives. It has the same light-touch approach to action and the same delight in its own absurdity.

But The plot is intentionally silly and meandering. If you need tight narrative logic or stakes that feel real, this will frustrate you.

Red Notice2021

Ryan Reynolds, Gal Gadot, and Dwayne Johnson in a globe-trotting heist comedy that prioritizes charm and banter over coherence. Ridiculous, self-aware, and genuinely entertaining. It knows exactly what it is and commits to the bit.

But The plot makes almost no sense if you think about it for more than thirty seconds. It's all vibe; substance takes a back seat.

Ghosted2023

Chris Evans and Ana de Armas in a spy-romantic-comedy hybrid that's essentially a feature-length rom-com that happens to have elaborate action sequences. Charming, goofy, and surprisingly warm about commitment and vulnerability.

But The action is secondary to the relationship stuff. If you came for set pieces, you'll feel the pacing drag in between them.

Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from The Fall Guy

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

Singin' in the Rain1952

Both are love letters to the stunt performer and the craftsperson: films about people who risk their bodies to create impossible moments on camera, and who find meaning and romance in that work.

Gene Kelly and Donald O'Connor as performers discovering their craft and themselves through movement and musical spectacle. The action here is dance—pure, joyful, technically astounding. The stunt work is as dangerous and as underestimated as Gosling's character's.

But It's a 1952 musical. If you're resistant to the form or the era, the opening forty minutes of plot-building will feel glacial.

Knight and Day2010

Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz in a hyperactive action-rom-com that's essentially a James Bond film remade as a screwball comedy. Energetic, packed with genuine chemistry, and unafraid to be silly about spy-movie tropes.

But The tone is aggressively cheerful and cartoonish. If you prefer grounded action or dramatic tension, the relentless buoyancy wears thin.

Romancing the Stone1984

Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner in the prototype for the action-rom-com: stranded in the jungle searching for treasure, solving problems together, and discovering they're perfect for each other. Sharp, funny, and genuinely romantic underneath the adventure.

But It's a 1984 film with the style and pacing to match. The action sequences lack modern polish and the love story requires patience.

The Lost City2022

Sandra Bullock and Channing Tatum lost in the jungle, separated by chaos and necessity, learning each other's value the hard way. Hilarious, kind-hearted, and genuinely committed to both the romance and the adventure. A refreshing balance.

But The plot is predictable from the opening minutes. You know exactly where it's going, and some will find that tedious.

Tropic Thunder2008

A war movie about actors making a war movie that goes catastrophically wrong. Ben Stiller, Jack Black, and Robert Downey Jr. in peak form, skewering action-movie excess and movie-star vanity with precise, vicious comedy.

But It's a satire with teeth. The humor is mean, the subjects are sensitive, and it will offend people who mistake commentary for endorsement.

Jungle Cruise2021

Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt on a riverboat adventure packed with banter, genuine warmth, and the kind of adventure-movie fun that doesn't insult your intelligence. Colorful, earnest, and genuinely funny without trying too hard.

But The plot is assembled from every adventure-movie component that exists. Originality is not the point, and if you need it, this will feel like a theme-park ride.

Deadpool & Wolverine2024

Ryan Reynolds as a fast-talking, self-aware action hero who knows he's in a movie. Gleefully irreverent, genuinely hilarious, and packed with action that doesn't take itself seriously. A real showcase for Reynolds' particular brand of charm.

But The constant meta-jokes and fourth-wall breaks exhaust some viewers. If you prefer immersion and sincerity, the winking gets tiresome fast.

The Nice Guys2016

Both are films where the real story is the relationship between the leads, built through banter and scenes of people solving problems together. Gosling brings the same wry competence here.

Ryan Gosling and Russell Crowe as two broken-down detectives solving a 1970s LA mystery. Devastatingly funny, genuinely melancholic underneath the jokes, and built almost entirely on the chemistry between two actors who know how to improvise and listen. A masterclass in tone.

But It's a character study dressed as a mystery. The plot threads are secondary to watching two damaged men banter and slowly trust each other. Some find that pacing irritating.

Wheelman2017

A film about the professional stunt worker (the wheelman is the stunt equivalent of Colt): someone whose skill is invisible, whose safety is optional, and who makes their living so others can succeed.

Frank Grillo as a wheelman—a get-away driver—spending ninety minutes executing plans while everything falls apart around him. Minimalist, tensely choreographed, mostly silent. A film about the invisible craftsperson who makes impossible moments happen for others.

But There's almost no dialogue and virtually no plot. It's a pure technical showcase, and if you need character arcs or exposition, you'll find it blank and frustrating.