The Fall Guy

Main characters Colt (Ryan Gosling), Jody (Emily Blunt), Gail (Hannah Waddingham), and Tom Ryder (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) are White. Colt's best buddy, Dan (Winston Duke), is Black; he's a stunt supervisor, in charge of a lot of people. Tom's resourceful assistant is played by Chinese American actor Stephanie Hsu. Other characters of color in smaller/background roles, but the only one with a notable speaking part (Matuse, who's Arab Australian) has a clichéd role as a drug dealer. Jody achieves her goal of becoming a director and is shown extensively on the job, leading her crew. There look to be as many women as men working on the production, including women of color, and women are just as able in fights as men (both Jody and Hsu's character deliver some serious smackdowns). The plot revolves around stunt performers, who are famously unrecognized for doing the most dangerous work and get little credit.

Near-constant action violence—flipping cars, chases, huge jumps, serious falls, fistfights, being set on fire, explosions, pyrotechnics, battling with swords, etc.—much of which is shown in the context of being stunts for a sci-fi movie, with cameras and safety gear present. In "real life," Colt faces villains who beat him up (with some blood/injuries), chase him, and shoot at him; he's often in deep peril, but the dialogue and winking tone help remind viewers that none of it is real. Prop and "real" weapons (guns, swords, bottles) are used, an attack dog bites baddies in the groin, tasers are used, a dead body is seen, and characters briefly think that someone important to them has died. One serious on-set accident is life-threatening, but the crash itself isn't shown, just the before and after (but the after leads to hospitalization).

Plot is motivated by a love story. Flirting. Dating montage. Kisses. Desirable things are described as "sexy bacon." A man is shirtless.

Strong language includes "s--t," "ass," "a--hole," "d--k," "p---y," "bitch," "balls," "damn," "goddamn," "hell," "bulls--t," "dips--t," and one somewhat hard to hear use of "f---ing." Exclamatory use of "for God's sake," "oh my God," and "Jesus Christ." Several middle-finger gestures.

Colt is unwittingly drugged and doesn't enjoy it, although his trip is played for laughs. A drug dealer initially seems menacing but is ultimately a coward. References to a high-status but unlikable character partying and doing drugs, which leads to negative consequences. Drinking throughout (beer, champagne, shots). At a bar, Colt orders a famously nonalcoholic drink, the Shirley Temple. He and Jody talk about drinking margaritas together.