Breathe

[A] solidly acted but underwhelming post-apocalyptic thriller.

The movie feels pared down to a fault, resolving its conflicts too quickly and failing to ever take the shape of a coherent allegory. It’s proof that shorter isn’t always better, even in the realm of self-contained genre fare.

…Breathe’s intense sci-fi stand-off shows Milla Jovovich’s considerable acting chops to good effect…

Bristol sets up a fascinating thought experiment, puts all the pieces in place, then gets lost trying to find the way out.

The main culprit is the poor writing. It is easy to accept Earth is still and lifeless. It is even easy to forgive all the great tech Darius has managed to make due to…reasons. Why the planet looks like it has gone through a world war is another matter.



Contained post-apocalyptic thriller.

Outlining a harrowing dystopian scenario, this slow-burning thriller leaves its capable and committed ensemble cast gasping for air.

In the end, Breathe is empty bluster and nothing more. It’s like a vacuum of where a movie should be, sucking all the air out of the room until nothing is left.

Ultimately, Breathe is a mixed bag. Parts of it are very engrossing, whereas other parts are thin or underdeveloped.

Thriller elements are even more unappealing, finding suspense nonexistent in this study of relationships and survival, which always struggles to land emotional beats and generate heated moments of conflict.