Upamanyu Biswas
With Christopher Landon in the director’s chair, ‘Drop‘ centers on Violet Gates, a Chicago-based therapist whose life is turned upside down when her date with a photographer named Henry goes awry in the most spectacular fashion. When a series of cryptic messages are sent to her phone, Violet realizes she is the center of a blackmail plot by an anonymous person who wants to kill Henry. Her secret texter threatens to kill her young son, Tobias, and sister, Jen, if she refuses to accept his demands. As a result, she must keep Henry engaged on his dinner date as she tries to figure a way out of her bleak situation. The thriller movie utilizes its restaurant backdrop to create an oppressive environment where the protagonist feels trapped and pushed to her limits.
Drop Filming Locations
While narratively set in Chicago, Illinois, ‘Drop’ is filmed in the neighborhoods of Ireland, specifically in the towns of Bray and Dublin. Principal photography on the project began in late April 2024 and was likely wrapped up a couple of months later. As the majority of the film takes place in interior environments, there isn’t a lot of scope to depict the beautiful landscapes of Ireland, which have become an increasingly lucrative filming destination for several projects. Still, there is a distinctly Irish feel and tone to the suspenseful environment crafted by the production team, especially during the handful of outdoor shots that emphasize the scale of the main buildings where the drama unfolds. The combination of both detailed interiors and sweeping exterior locales helps weave an authentic reality together when the tense scenes get going.
Ardmore Studios, Ireland
Filming for ‘Drop’ primarily took place in Ardmore Studios at Herbert Road, Killarney, Bray, in County Wicklow, Ireland. The movie’s central location, the Palate restaurant, was constructed with intricacy and attention to detail at Ardmore Studios. Violet spends most of the movie trapped in the eating place, so the setting’s authenticity is essential. To that end, the 14,000-square-foot set was built on a soundstage to resemble the modern aesthetics and feel of an upscale Chicago restaurant. Production designer Susie Cullen was the intellectual capital behind the set design and described the design process as integral to the storytelling aspects of the film. “We wanted the restaurant to feel sophisticated yet subtly menacing, a place that could be luxurious one moment and a trap the next,” she explained.
Director Christopher Landon also expressed his ideas on the set, stating that its “gilded cage” design adds to the emotional subtext of the narrative, showing how Violet is a captive of a blackmail plot and her circumstances. In an interview, he drew attention to the “gold bars reaching up and around people” as those represent how the protagonist is isolated in her own space despite being one of many customers inside the restaurant. Subsequently, he and the creative team worked on establishing a timeline for the different events that take place inside the restaurant, an important exercise in maintaining the continuity of the scenes. Thus, Ardmore Studios, Ireland’s oldest filming studio, played a pivotal role during the production process and provided the framework for Palate to exist.
Dublin, Ireland
Another key location during the production was Ireland’s capital city, Dublin. The film crew recorded scenes outside the Convention Center at Spencer Dock, North Wall Quay, North Wall, which stands in for the exterior parts of the Palate high-rise restaurant. Additional VFX shots were likely used to modify the structure to present a more unique look. Dublin is primarily known for its historic buildings and cultural heritage, such as St Patrick’s Cathedral, Guinness Storehouse, Dublin Castle, National Museum of Ireland, and Phoenix Park, among many others. However, in the movie, we get to see a more modern and posh version of the region, mimicking the top-end look of Chicago’s wealthy areas. In the past, the capital city has been used as a production spot for projects like ‘Abigail,’ ‘Kin,’ ‘Wisting,’ and ‘Moonflower Murders.’
Read More: Drop: Is Palate a Real Restaurant?
