The 2022 survival thriller “Fall” is a movie that often impressed with its technical prowess only to frustrate with its ridiculous premise and hokey Hallmark-esque twists. On one hand, director Scott Mann created a palpable sense of height-induced dread and you didn’t have to suffer from acrophobia to feel the effects. At the same time, it was hard to get swept away by the thrills when the majority of the our time in spent questioning the sanity of its two incredibly dense lead characters.

Much like its predecessor, “Fall 2: Deadpoint” often struggles to make sense, mostly due to the head-scratching decisions made onscreen and off. And as before, it’s hard to connect with characters who so often defy understanding. It’s not because I don’t possess a similar thrill-seeker mindset. It’s that they’re trapped in a script that’s more unintentionally funny than edge-of-your-seat thrilling.

“Fall 2” is directed by twin brothers Peter and Michael Spierig, the duo behind such past gems as “Daybreakers” and “Predestination”. Sadly their latest doesn’t come close to matching their earlier and better work. It simply follows the basic formula as the first film. There are a handful of harrowing sequences made effective by some cool camera tricks and decent CGI. But there are also moments when the action is killed by the sheer absurdity of what we’re seeing.

Following her death in the first film, Shiloh Hunter (Virginia Gardner) has become a posthumous viral sensation. She’s a constant topic among podcasters and influencers while gaining a legion of online fans. But it has been a much different story for Shiloh’s kid sister, Jax (Harriet Slater). She’s still grieving the loss and feeling guilty for never facing her fears the way her big sister did.

When Jax discovers a journal listing Shiloh’s thrill-seeking bucket list, she’s encouraged by her sister’s friend Luce (Arsema Thomas) to pick up where Shiloh left off. So the reluctant Jax and the enthusiastic Luce head to Thailand to take on the terrifying plank walk some 4,000 feet high on the face of the ominous Mount Kwan. They arrive at a community camp near the base of the mountain only to learn that it’s the wet season and there are no experienced guides available (so much for doing your research beforehand).

The ladies connect with a seasoned climber named John (Tom Brittney) who they hire to guide them on an illegal hike along the most dangerous trail in Thailand. They begin by scaling the face on a makeshift “ladder” until they finally reach the dreaded plank walk. The trio begin their perilous trek across the old weather-worn boards at a dizzying 4,000 feet. But as you can probably guess, things don’t go as planned, leaving Jax and company quite literally hanging on for dear life.

That’s all the setup the Spierig brothers need to get us on the mountain with their characters. From there it should all be about utilizing the intense setting and circumstances to keep us on the edges of our seats. But much like the first movie, the filmmakers aren’t content with the high-altitude horror (this time from rockslides, earthquakes, driving rain, etc). Instead they once again throw in a ludicrous revelation and an even more ridiculous late twist, neither of which adds any worthwhile drama.

“Fall 2: Deadpoint” ends with the clear intent of continuing this as a full-blown franchise. But after two swing-and-misses, it’s hard for me to muster up much excitement for a third try. “Deadpoint” lazily recycles the plot of the first film, sticking close to the original’s blueprint while adding a little of its own dressing. It does deliver a handful of thrills that comes natural with the film’s bigger scale. But they’re routinely overshadowed by the goofy plot twists that left me laughing at things that clearly weren’t meant to be funny.

VERDICT – 2 STARS