Fall 2: Deadpoint (2026)
Fall 2: Deadpoint Review: Higher Stakes, Slippery Logic, and Plenty of Vertigo
Fall 2: Deadpoint has a steep cliff to climb—literally and figuratively. The 2022 original was a scrappy $3 million survival thriller that became a word-of-mouth sensation on Netflix, thanks to a genuinely ingenious premise and a twist that left audiences gasping. This sequel, directed by the Spierig Brothers (Jigsaw, Predestination) and written by returning scribes Jonathan Frank and Scott Mann, attempts to scale the same heights with a bigger canvas, a new cast, and a much more convoluted story. The result, according to critics, is a mixed bag: thrilling in its set pieces, but frustrating in its execution.
The numbers reflect a film that has split critics down the middle. On Rotten Tomatoes, Fall 2: Deadpoint holds a 53% critics score based on 58 reviews, with a consensus that reads: “The bottom doesn’t completely fall out of Deadpoint thanks to the Spierig Brothers’ penchant for sweat-inducing tension, but this sequel ups the stakes without proportionately scaling its characters’ intelligence.” Metacritic assigned a score of 54 out of 100 based on 12 critics, indicating “mixed or average” reviews, while CinemaScore audiences gave it a B−—a slight drop from the first film’s B. Commercially, the film was a solid success: produced for just $3 million, it grossed $25.6 million worldwide.
Todd Gilchrist of Variety gave the film a positive review, calling it a “mostly successful sequel” and praising its ability to replicate the original’s vertigo-inducing tension without feeling like a carbon copy. He noted that the film successfully expands the series into more pulpy territory while retaining its core survival-thriller appeal. Bill Bria of /Film awarded it 7 out of 10, highlighting its “wilder stakes” and “double the twists,” and arguing that it works as a nail-biting thriller rather than a simple retread. Bria also praised the performances of Harriet Slater and Arsema Thomas, and the sequel’s attempt to build a more character-driven, soap-opera-like narrative.
Simon Abrams of The A.V. Club was far less impressed, awarding it a C− and criticising its “watery characterizations and bland dialogue.” He argued that its twists do little to improve the film’s weak character development, and while he praised some climbing sequences as effectively dizzying and tense, he faulted the uneven pacing, flat performances, cheap-looking CGI, and a failure to exploit the setting’s full potential for suspense. The consensus seems to be that Fall 2: Deadpoint delivers the sweaty-palmed thrills fans expect, but never quite matches the elegant simplicity that made the original such a surprise hit.
Fall 2: Deadpoint Cast: Harriet Slater and Arsema Thomas Lead the Climb
The sequel introduces a fresh ensemble while maintaining a thread to the original through a returning cast member:
Harriet Slater leads the film as Jax Hunter, Shiloh’s grieving younger sister. Slater, known for her work in Pennyworth and Belgravia, brings a raw, emotionally charged energy to the role. Critics praised her performance, with /Film noting that she and Arsema Thomas anchor the film’s emotional weight effectively.
Arsema Thomas (Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story) plays Luce—or rather, Billie—a fan of Shiloh’s social media channel who pretends to be her friend in order to get close to Jax. The character’s deception drives the film’s central twist, and Thomas brings a fascinating mix of warmth and mystery to the role. Tom Brittney (Grantchester, Outlander) is Jon Platt, the guide with a hidden agenda, while Virginia Gardner (Fall, Marvel’s Runaways) returns as Shiloh Hunter in flashback footage. Grace Caroline Currey (Fall, Shazam! Fury of the Gods) makes an uncredited cameo as Becky Connor, reprising her role from the first film, and Adam Rose also appears in a brief cameo.
Fall 2: Deadpoint Plot: A Deadly Climb, A Hidden Secret
The story begins after the death of Shiloh Hunter, the daredevil climber from the first film. Her grieving sister Jax meets Shiloh’s friend Luce to sell Shiloh’s recovered truck. Inside, Luce finds Shiloh’s scrapbook of locations where she planned to climb and perform stunts for her social media followers. Luce eventually persuades Jax to accompany her to a plank walk on Mount Kwan in Thailand, where a dragon statue is said to “eat your fears.” In Thailand, they visit a secluded bar and use a code phrase to meet Jon, a non-native guide who agrees to take them on the plank walk for a fee paid by Luce. Jon warns them that the mountain has been permanently closed because of earthquakes, rock slides, and heavy rain.
The following day, Jax, Luce, and Jon climb the restricted mountain. Jax nearly falls from a ladder, but the trio continue using a “clip-in clip-out” method to cross the “Devil’s Elbow.” Heavy rain triggers a rock slide that separates Jax and Luce from Jon, who they believe has been killed. As they try to turn back, another rock slide destroys part of the planks and nearly pulls Jax from her clip. The women become stranded at the Devil’s Elbow, unable to proceed or retreat, while their backpack hangs from an inaccessible support.
That night, they use Jon’s laser pointer to signal the bar, but the bartender closes the blinds. The next day, Luce reveals that she has terminal cancer and has been avoiding her parents’ calls. Meanwhile, Jax’s grief, fear, exhaustion, and altitude sickness begin distorting her perception. Reviewing Shiloh’s old camera footage, she realises that the woman beside her is not the Luce from Shiloh’s life. The woman admits that her real name is Billie. A fan of Shiloh’s channel, Billie discovered that Jax was selling Shiloh’s truck and pretended to be her sister’s friend, knowing Jax would not sell it to a fan. As she grew closer to Jax, Billie developed a genuine emotional connection with her and sought to help her overcome her grief and fear through the climb.
The following day, Jax and Billie realise that they are growing weaker. Using their backpack radio, they discover that Jon survived the rock slide and was merely knocked unconscious. Billie attempts to retrieve the backpack but is badly injured and nearly falls to her death before Jax saves her. Jax reaches the railing and calls Jon for help. Jon finds them, rescues them from the Devil’s Elbow, and contacts the authorities, requesting a helicopter to meet them on the other side of the mountain. The trio reach the dragon statue, where Jax pays tribute to Shiloh.
They then cross the final section of the plank walk, an unstable bridge spanning a high gap between Mount Kwan’s peaks. Exhausted, Billie opens one of the O2 tanks Jon supplied and discovers drugs inside. Jon reveals that he took them on the illegal climb because he is smuggling fentanyl across the border, using climbers as unwitting drug mules. He also reveals that the approaching helicopter belongs to other traffickers rather than the authorities. Furious, Billie throws an O2 tank from the mountain. Jon responds by pushing her to her death. Jon then attempts to kill Jax but falls to his own death. When the helicopter arrives, Jax uses the remaining drugs as a bargaining chip and is rescued and taken back to the bar, where she buys a drink in memory of Billie. She later opens Shiloh’s scrapbook and discovers another destination: Hell’s Chasm. Elsewhere, Shiloh’s friend Becky Connor receives an invitation to Hell’s Chasm to celebrate Shiloh’s life.
“The higher you climb, the harder you fall.”