Critic Reviews

• Sara Stewart, New York Post

  The whole claustrophobic one-man show feels like we've been here before, and with better material.

• Andrew Lapin, NPR

  There are plenty of gripping moments, as well as a few silly ones - bees get involved at one point, presumably to please Wicker Man fans. And the ride as a whole is at the very least exciting to take part in.

• Joe Neumaier, New York Daily News

  Talk about being boxed in: This thriller is half-"24," half-"Buried" and, despite a few twists, unable to move anywhere.

• Robert Koehler, Variety

  Brake may not be the kind of film that Dorff's thesp character in Sofia Coppola's Somewhere is pining for, but the actor fully commits to the arduous demands of the part.

• Rex Reed, New York Observer

  It is amazing how much hair-raising action and fluid movement this film captures in the confined interior of a car trunk, or how many mood shifts Mr. Dorff conveys in a performance that can only be called multi-dimensional.

• Stephen Whitty, Newark Star-Ledger

  The situation itself is simply too absurd for us to accept, right from the start. And the more it goes on, the harder it is to stay onboard.

• Jeff Beck, We Got This Covered

  While the film is suspenseful for awhile, it ultimately becomes a let down because of a stretched out story and an absurd ending.

• Jeff Beck, Examiner.com

  Most of it is a decent film despite it being stretched out, but most of it being good just doesn't cut it.

• Jeremy Heilman, MovieMartyr.com

  It's a clever B-movie that has a number of fun twists up its sleeve.

• David Nusair, Reel Film Reviews

  ...a second-rate carbon-copy of Rodrigo Cortés' vastly superior Buried.

• Paul Chambers, CNNRadio

  Over 95% of "Brake" takes place in the trunk of a car. But, despite the confines or perhaps because of them, it's a decent enough thriller.

• Betty Jo Tucker, ReelTalk Movie Reviews

  In a movie like this, almost everything depends on the lead actor -- and Stephen Dorff does not disappoint. He turns in a splended 'confined' performance here.

• Todd Jorgenson, Cinemalogue.com

  There are simply too many manipulative gimmicks to generate any emotional investment in the outcome.

• Brian Tallerico, HollywoodChicago.com

  Dorff is stellar and the film builds some tension but a bit too much required suspension of disbelief, some plot holes, weak dialogue, and two increasingly silly twist endings ultimately sink the piece.

• Christopher Null, Filmcritic.com

  an idea for a short extended far beyond its creative shelf life

• Noel Murray, AV Club

  Dorff and Torres make a lot out of very little, always keeping the audience aware of the larger world outside the small, dark space in which they've trapped us.

• Brian Orndorf, BrianOrndorf.com

  Works as a budget suspense experience, reaching enough boiling points to entertain, but not enough to block out the ridiculous ending.

• Michelle Orange, Movieline

  If we're never drawn in far enough to wonder what we might do in a Plexiglass box at the end of the world, Dorff can sell stock action-hero lines with enough moody grit to hold our attention.

Read all 18 critic reviews