Movie Review: Ryan Gosling in ‘The Fall Guy’ Makes for a Swift, Fun Blockbuster

One of the biggest mysteries in modern Hollywood is why Ryan Gosling can’t get a movie to first place at the box-office.

He has everything needed for a bona fide movie star. Talent, good looks, charm, versatility, well-received films with both critics and award organizations, and no drama off screen. Yet, if you look at his track record, more often than not his starring roles don’t lead to much traction with theater audiences.

And on the rare chance they do, it’s more because of an equally successful co-star or well-known brand, like Nick Cassavetes’ The Notebook (2004), Damien Chazelle’s La La Land (2016) and Greta Gerwig’s Barbie (2023). Which brings us to Gosling’s latest leading man effort — David Leitch’s big screen interpretation of The Fall Guy, alongside fellow Barbenheimer star Emily Blunt.

After spending a year to himself following a tragic accident on a set, Colt Seavers (Gosling) is convinced by producer Gail Meyer (Hannah Waddingham) to return to his in-demand gig as a movie set stuntman for his ex-girlfriend Jody Moreno’s (Blunt) big transition from camera operator to film director. Except Colt discovers reuniting with Jody is not only more awkward than he expected, but Gail has a secret mission for him to locate and return the male lead of Jody’s film: action star Tom Ryder (Aaron Johnson), for whom Colt was the primary stunt double.

Winston Duke co-stars as Colt’s stunt coordinator, Stephanie Hsu appears as Tom’s assistant and Teresa Palmer plays Tom’s love interest. The Fall Guy is loosely adapted from the popular ABC TV series from 1981-86. But besides the title, the two leads’ names and the general concept, Leitch’s movie version basically does its own thing.

Leitch himself felt a personal connection to his new project as the stuntman-turned-filmmaker of John Wick (2014), Atomic Blonde (2017) and Bullet Train (2022), and is a pro at action-heavy features. Fall Guy screenwriter Drew Pearce has previous writing credits on Shane Black’s Iron Man 3 (2013) and Chrisopher McQuarrie’s Mission: Impossible—Rogue Nation (2015).

The Fall Guy is fairly by-the-book in its execution. A few scenes are edited too much like a trailer, and some movie fans have amusedly pointed out how the plot progresses similarly to Shawn Levy’s Big Fat Liar (2002). But the new flick is genuinely funny, and the cast completely sells it.

Gosling shows he has the range for both broad comedy and playing it straight, while Johnson is surprisingly hilarious as the conceited, himbo superstar. Not only was there clearly a lot of effort put into the action and stunt choreography, but avid film fans will also get a kick out of the behind the scenes lingo and inside jokes. 

The Fall Guy is a swift, fun blockbuster to get ready for the summer movie season, and it’s nice to see romance interwoven into a major action-adventure for the first time in a while too.