Falling Down

For the first two acts, Falling Down has the potential to be an excellent satire on society. But in the last act, Schumacher portrays Douglas as a psychopath, actually defeating the original purpose. The ending itself is nothing but a silly cliché that this film didn’t deserve. It’s a shame, it would have been worth five stars otherwise. (13/04/2003)

Great film! Anyone who’s ever felt they’ve had enough of everything and feel like beating the crap out of someone will likely enjoy it. There were moments when I found it quite inspiring (for a while at least) :D The next time I’m in a similar mood, I will surely remember this film. That said, D-Fens takes things a little too far, so much that you quickly loose any appetite to imitate him – after all, sorting things out with a cool head is always better. (31/08/2008)

Joel Schumacher will convince you that it's not good to be within reach of Michael Douglas's baseball bat when he's wishing for a consumerist lifestyle. An incredibly effective and apt pitch-black humorous satire about a "kinda" different mid-life crisis. (07/07/2007)

The final effect is even more powerful than Phone Booth. Furthermore, conceptually Free Fall is possibly Joel Schumacher's strongest film. Michael Douglas acts incredibly well, aided by the fact that his role is excellently written. The ending was a bit cliché and disruptive to me, unfortunately, but it can be endured. (09/02/2005)

An acting tour de force by Michael Douglas and Robert Duvall conducted by Joel Schumacher, who used this masterpiece to weave such a sensational whip that he has not surpassed Falling Down to this day. (17/01/2008)

Schumacher has made a very strange film, one where it’s very important to relate to the main character and fully understand his desperate actions. And that's the only thing that kept me from giving it a full rating, because I couldn't quite connect with Michael Douglas, even though he gives another amazing performance, and the overall slower pace didn't allow me to get a glimpse of the message behind the story. But I'm not complaining, because Falling Down is still an excellent crime drama, not harmed by Schumacher's more intimate direction, which actually builds much of the oppressive and thickening atmosphere. On top of that, there's the likeable Robert Duvall, who together with the dogged Douglas work like a well-oiled engine that can effectively kick the script into gear even in the duller spots. Although it was clear from the beginning where such a fall must end, Schumacher still managed to play with the viewers and prepare them for the finale. And for that he undoubtedly deserves recognition. 80% (04/11/2012)

I avoided this film for a long time, and even though it ran on TV countless times, I never saw it properly. But I finally fixed it, and I must admit, Michael Douglas is mesmerizingly dark in it, and he's truly terrifying. Joel Schumacher shows what he does well - thrillers in a small space. Here, the space where D-Fens operates is simply defined. It pulls everything together like a black hole. (09/12/2016)