‘Fall 2: Deadpoint’ Rotten Tomatoes Score Is In, and Critics Say the Sequel Struggles to Reach the Original’s Heights

Sequels to surprise streaming hits carry a particular kind of pressure, since audiences discovering the original often years later means expectations can build in ways the follow-up struggles to match. That’s exactly the situation facing Lionsgate’s latest survival thriller, a film chasing the unlikely success story of its low-budget predecessor.

‘Fall,’ the 2022 original directed by Scott Mann, made roughly seven times its $3 million budget at the box office before surging even further after landing on Netflix, where its unusual premise and twist ending turned it into a genuine streaming phenomenon. That success, paired with a 79% critics and audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, made a sequel feel almost inevitable once the original found its second wind.

Now that sequel has arrived, and the early reviews suggest it hasn’t quite recaptured the same magic. ‘Fall 2: Deadpoint’ currently sits at 50% on the Tomatometer based on 10 reviews, with critics largely agreeing the film doesn’t reach high enough highs to justify itself as a full sequel to the original’s tightly focused thriller formula.

Directed by Peter and Michael Spierig, known collectively as the Spierig Brothers, ‘Fall 2: Deadpoint’ follows Jax, played by Harriet Slater, as she and her late sister’s friend Luce, played by Arsema Thomas, attempt a treacherous plank walk across Thailand’s Mount Kwan in tribute to Jax’s sister Shiloh. A sudden rockslide leaves the pair stranded roughly 3,000 feet above the ground, forcing them to fight for survival in a scenario that mirrors the vertigo-inducing stakes of the original film.

AV Club’s review pointed to a specific structural issue holding the film back, noting that despite a midpoint plot twist meant to recontextualize one of the two leads, that revelation ultimately doesn’t change how the characters relate to each other or add much substance to the film’s adrenaline-driven entertainment. The review described much of the film’s first half as focused on underdeveloped ties between its two co-stars, with thin characterization getting in the way of the tension the premise should naturally generate.

Despite the mixed reception, reviews have largely converged on one thing the sequel does get right. Critics broadly agree that ‘Fall 2: Deadpoint’ still packs a punch through its nerve-racking heights, high stakes, and suspense, delivering plenty of thrills even where its character work falls short.

That divide between technical execution and narrative depth seems to be the defining tension running through most reviews of the film. The core survival premise, watching two characters navigate an impossibly precarious situation, still generates the visceral tension that made the original such an effective genre exercise, even if critics feel the emotional stakes surrounding that tension haven’t been developed with the same care.

With ‘Fall 2: Deadpoint’ now playing in theaters as of September 2, the film’s reception suggests it may follow a similar trajectory to its predecessor, potentially finding a stronger audience response once it eventually lands on a streaming platform where casual viewers can discover it without the weight of comparison to the original’s unexpected success.

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