You’ve probably seen the trailers where Ryan Gosling is being dragged behind a truck through the streets of Sydney. It looks fun, right? But honestly, calling The Fall Guy just another "action movie" is a bit like calling a Ferrari just a "car." Released in May 2024, this film isn't just about a guy doing backflips; it’s a massive, multi-million dollar love letter to the people who actually break their bones so A-list actors can look cool.
The plot is basically a neon-soaked mystery. Gosling plays Colt Seavers, a stuntman who’s a bit of a wreck after a career-ending injury. He gets lured back to a movie set by a high-strung producer (Hannah Waddingham) because the star of a massive sci-fi epic has gone missing. The twist? The director of that epic is his ex-girlfriend, Jody Moreno, played by Emily Blunt.
Why The Fall Guy matters more than the box office numbers
If you look at the raw data, the industry was a little worried at first. The Fall Guy cost somewhere between $125 million and $150 million to make. When it opened with $27.7 million domestically, the "box office bomb" headlines started flying. People were shocked. How could the stars of Barbie and Oppenheimer not crush the opening weekend?
But here’s what the critics missed early on: the movie had staying power. It eventually clawed its way to over $181 million worldwide. While that might not be a "superhero-level" profit, the film found a massive second life on streaming. In fact, when it hit Peacock, it actually broke records, even beating out Oppenheimer for the biggest film debut on the platform. It turns out people really wanted to see Gosling and Blunt’s chemistry from the comfort of their couches.
The Record-Breaking Stunts in The Fall Guy (2024 film)
Director David Leitch didn't just want to make a movie about stunts; he wanted to set records. He used to be Brad Pitt's stunt double, so he has a lot of skin in the game. He famously insisted on using as little CGI as possible for the big sequences.
The highlight? The "cannon roll."
If you aren't a gearhead, a cannon roll is when they use a literal nitrogen-powered cannon under the car to flip it. Most movies are happy with three or four rotations. The Fall Guy went for glory. Stunt driver Logan Holladay flipped a modified Jeep Grand Cherokee eight and a half times on a beach in Australia.
That’s a Guinness World Record.
A quick breakdown of the big set pieces:
- The 150-Foot Fall: Troy Brown did a blind back-fall from a helicopter. It’s terrifying to watch because it’s a real human being falling into a giant airbag, not a digital double.
- The 225-Foot Jump: They jumped a truck across a massive canyon. No green screen. Just a driver and a lot of physics.
- The Harbour Bridge Slide: Gosling (well, mostly his doubles) spent days being dragged across the Sydney Harbour Bridge. They actually had to shut down the iconic bridge for hours, which is a logistical nightmare.
The sheer physicality is what makes the movie feel "heavy." When Colt gets hit by a car or thrown through a window, you feel the impact because you know there’s no "digital safety net" doing the heavy lifting.
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Gosling and Blunt: The Barbenheimer Hangover
Most people expected this to be a pure action flick. It's not. It’s actually a romantic comedy disguised as a blockbuster. The "Metalstorm" movie-within-a-movie is a hilarious parody of Dune and Star Wars, but the heart is really about Colt trying to apologize to Jody for ghosting her.
Gosling is basically playing a version of himself that happens to be able to take a punch. He’s charming, vulnerable, and slightly pathetic in the best way possible. Blunt, meanwhile, gets to play a director who is clearly "over her head" but refuses to back down.
Interestingly, the movie almost looked very different. Early versions of the script had Blunt’s character as a makeup artist. She was the one who pushed to make Jody a director, wanting to show the stress of a first-time filmmaker trying to manage a $200 million disaster.
The Awards Controversy
By early 2025, The Fall Guy became the face of a movement. For years, people have been screaming at the Academy to add a "Best Stunts" category. This movie made that argument impossible to ignore. At the 2025 SAG Awards, it won for Outstanding Action Performance by a Stunt Ensemble.
It was a huge moment. It was the first non-franchise movie to win that award since Hacksaw Ridge. The crew, led by stunt designer Chris O’Hara, finally got their flowers. Even though the Oscars still haven't officially added the category for 2026, the pressure is at an all-time high because of this film.
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What Most People Get Wrong About the Original Show
If you’re under 40, you probably didn't know The Fall Guy was a TV show from the 80s starring Lee Majors. The movie is "loosely based" on it, which is code for "we kept the name and the truck."
The original was a bounty hunter show. Colt Seavers caught bad guys as a side hustle. The 2024 film ditched the bounty hunting for a Hollywood conspiracy. It was a smart move. It allowed the movie to poke fun at ego-driven actors (Aaron Taylor-Johnson is brilliant as the deluded Tom Ryder) and the madness of film sets.
Is it worth a watch?
Honestly, yeah. Especially the "Extended Cut." It adds about 20 minutes of extra character beats and even more stunt footage. If you’re a fan of practical effects or just want to see two of the most likable actors on the planet bicker while things explode, it’s a top-tier choice.
The movie also serves as a reminder that the "movie star" era isn't dead; it just looks different. It’s not just about a famous face anymore; it’s about the spectacle and the heart behind the scenes.
If you want to dive deeper into the technical side, search for the "making of" featurettes specifically regarding Logan Holladay’s cannon roll. It’s a masterclass in engineering and bravery that makes the final shot in the film even more impressive when you realize they only had one shot to get it right.
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Check your favorite streaming platform to see if the Extended Cut is available in your region, as the extra footage of the Sydney chase is widely considered superior to the theatrical version.