A gang of highly skilled killers invades the blind man’s house to kidnap his daughter, not knowing what he is capable of.
Worthy sequel shot in a standard Hollywood manner. Acting first: Stephen Lang is an incredible actor. That’s it.
Moving on to the plot, it gets trickier. The first act sets a thrilling foundation that promises horrific brutality that potentially matches the first. The first plot point’s protracted tracking shot increases the tension while making it obvious what will happen next. And what is actually happening is quite brutal. As brutal as promised, though? Yes! So, what are the differences with Don’t Breathe (2016)?
Don’t Breathe 2 is a lot more far-fetched but reasonable enough for a sequel. Not a problem, it’s expected. Then… In the first one, what we have is poor, untalented boys and girls – harmless thieves who have no idea what they are up against – enter the blind man’s house whose intentions are revealed to be shockingly sinister and unfathomably perverse. In Don’t Breathe 2, the competition is way tougher and, against all odds, he is (somehow) the victim – even though the twist and, consequently, the intentions come to a tad early. But the confrontation (act 2) is not restricted to just a house and develops the story and leads it even further than expected, to, actually, extremely unexpected paths. As I can’t say much about the plot’s development, I’ll focus on the one thing that got me asking: What the hell was going on in writer/director Rodo Sayagues’ head while balancing the characters’ morality? What everyone has done, is doing, and what is about to do is just beyond me. And I leave you with that. From a filmmaking point of view, there is nothing much to say. Other than the aforementioned protracted shot, nothing much stands out. From a narrative point of view, the film walks a tightrope, risking to lose the audience by tipping the scales as to who to root for – the morality issue.
Watch it and see for yourselves what I mean. It does not necessarily mean that it’s “good” or “bad”, that’s hardly ever the case anyway. Overall, I found it enjoyable and do recommend it. It’s the kind of morbid entertainment that doesn’t come even remotely close to the horrific reality we are currently facing.
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Solidarity for all the innocent lives who suffer the atrocities of war!
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