‘Don’t Breathe 2’ Delivers Tension But Not Much Else (Movie Review)
Greenlighting sequels to surprise hits, especially ones of the suspense variety, are no-brainers for studios. Yet Fede Alvarez’s 2016 home invasion thriller Don’t Breathe didn’t seem to have many stories left to tell once the credits rolled. Don’t Breathe 2’s big swing is to shift the story’s focus to the villain, Norman Nordstrom, played with absolute grit by Stephen Lang (Avatar). In that film, it turned out a blind ex-navy seal was more than a match for Jane Levy (Evil Dead) and her fellow thieves. But Norman was also a pretty terrible person, to say the least. Really terrible. Whatever thoughts on the execution of Sony’s late summer sequel, this could not have been an easy sell, much less an easy film to enjoy if one saw the original. This might be the first sequel where audiences may be better off with no prior knowledge of the events that transpired in a dark, secluded Detroit home. Of course, I DID see the original, so…
Set eight years after the first film’s events, Norman is now seemingly raising his daughter, Phoenix (Madelyn Grace). He trains her with all sorts of combat techniques, even firearms. Definitely the kind of education one couldn’t take pass/fail at the local elementary. Phoenix gets along well enough with her “dad” and their adorable pup Shadow, but she wants to have friends her own age and go to a real school. Beyond Norman, her only pal is army vet Hernandez (Stephanie Arcila), who takes her into town every now and then, that is, if Norman allows it. Then one night, a bunch of creepy dudes break into Norman’s home, aiming to take Phoenix away. Big mistake.
First, the good stuff. Although Alvarez did not return to helm the sequel, his producing/writing partner Rodo Sayagues makes his directorial debut (with Alvarez still producing and co-writing). Sayagues executes the “home invaders versus Norman” scenes well. Though the film is only 99 min with brisk pacing, Sayagues does a good job establishing the rooms, hallways, and hiding places (and he rarely goes for silly jump scares). There’s a logic to how Norman and Phoenix use their home to their advantage. It’s engaging to watch. When Norman finally catches an intruder, it’s just as brutal and graphic as the original film. This is a well-earned R-rated film. The film’s third act moves to a bigger location that offers some variety to more hide-and-seek kill exchanges. An abandoned pool and a make-shift surgical table are put to good use.
Lang and co-star Grace work well enough as a father/daughter lethal duo too. Despite my very mixed feelings on having a person who raped and murdered people in the previous installment, this version of Norman is superior to most generic vigilantes of the modern era (like Bruce Willis in that awful Death Wish remake). Some part of this is the “blind killer” schtick, but the bigger factor is Lang’s commitment to the role. His portrayal of such an individual makes Norman a genuinely a broken person. That he’s equally dangerous is easier to root for than one might think. Grace, for her part, sadly, gets stuck with a lot of clunky kid dialogue but the young actress is grounded and likable.
Unfortunately, two strong set pieces and two solid leads are not nearly enough. If you have no knowledge of the film, this is probably fine as a hard R thriller, but there’s a lot left to be desired. The script often makes dumb leaps in logic just to get to the next action scene. The bad guys (or I guess “badder” guys) are universally terrible. Their writing and the acting is often straight-to-video boring. Led by Raylan (overacted by Brendon Sexton III), the five men out on a mission to kidnap Phoenix are very much of the “louder I talk, the more menacing I am” trope. Not one of them works to ratchet the tension.
Too often, I’m not covered for Norman or even Phoenix. I’m just waiting to see what ghoulishly violent mayhem will transpire. To be fair, those kinds of thrills can be their own reward, but there should still be a strong tug of war between competitors. The lack of imagination the kidnappers display would be funny if Sayagues leaned into the humor more. Sadly, I only laughed once when I thought it was intentional.
A sequel trying something different should be applauded in theory. Would a follow-up starring Jane Levy’s Rocky battling yet another home protector have been better? I doubt it, but I’m pretty sure such a movie wouldn’t make me uneasy rooting for a villain-turned-hero who gets “redeemed” in a sequel. For the record, I’m not against a deeper dive into the hearts and minds of truly despicable people (Todd Haynes Happiness is terrific, although not at all a thriller). In the case of Don’t Breathe 2, though, it’s less about exploring such a person as much as letting the weapons do the talking.
