One Line Review: This inevitable sequel is exciting, but a lot less surprising than the original.
Youtube Trailer Don’t Breathe 2
Starring: Stephen Lang
Director: Rodo Sayagues
Release Date: 12 August 2021
Introduction
In 2016 ‘s successful DONT BREATHE, we were introduced to blind Vietnam veteran Norman Nordstrom (Stephen Lang), aka The Blind Man. We saw how a number of criminals broke into Norman’s house, but that the roles gradually turned and the three burglars themselves became the target in a film full of fierce twists. It became bloody clear that crime doesn’t pay. The film became a huge hit and it was therefore only a matter of time before a sequel would come.
Plot summary and analysis
We are now a few years further and Norman tries to live a quiet life with eleven-year-old Phoenix, who was orphaned by a devastating house fire and who he now raises with an iron discipline. Of course, it won’t be long before it hits again. Once again there are intruders in the house, led by Raylan (played by Brendan Sexton III), who this time – it becomes clear why – after the girl. It should be clear that The Blind Man is not pleased with this to say the least and does everything it can to keep Phoenix out of the hands of the invaders. The great thing about DON’T BREATHE was that the viewer initially sympathized with Norman, but when he turned out to be not as innocent as initially thought – and that’s quite an understatement – the
Here comes the bold move
Making a sequel to Don’t Breathe immediately encounters the hurdle that the most iconic aspect of that film is the antagonist. It is therefore almost inevitable that they have to be returned. But how do you incorporate that into the story? After all, you can hardly unleash a new set of burglars into this blind man’s house again and expect the same result. After the first part, everyone knows that he is a lot less helpless than he looks. The solution then seems to be to upgrade this antagonist to a protagonist. A bold choice, but not necessarily the right one. After all, the first part left no doubt that we should not sympathize with this man.
But there’s a problem; It fails to excite
The problem is that in this sequel, the clever cat-and-mouse game can no longer just be copied because viewers are already familiar with its background and modus operandi. Norman has now been made a more sympathetic character, albeit with a dark past. Sometimes it is made very clear that Norman is not a real villain: for example, this killing machine leaves an aggressive rottweiler who attacks him alive. He’s still an anti-villain, but this time with his heart in the right place: the antagonist from part one becomes the protagonist in part two, which has now become a traditional trespassing thriller.
Is there nothing to enjoy then? Certainly, the momentum is good from the start, there are good kills with enough gore and the acting is good, with the young Madelyn Grace, in particular, standing out, who gives herself completely in the physically challenging role of Phoenix. For example, debuting director Rodo Sayagues – who has taken over the direction from Fede Álvarez – creates tension through long shots with few cuts, so that Grace had to do a lot herself without stunt doubles. There are also a few funny, but rather unbelievable plot twists.
Conclusion
DON’T BREATHE 2 looks great and is good entertainment, but the film will never be as innovative and nail-bitingly exciting as the original. The inevitable post-credits scene also indicates that there is a chance for a sequel…
