Don't Breathe 2 review

DON’T BREATHE 2: 

STEPHEN LANG RETURNS IN THIS EXTREMELY MIDDLE-OF-THE-ROAD HORROR SEQUEL! 

By Nico Beland

Movie Review: ** ½ out of 4

SCREEN GEMS AND STAGE 6 FILMS

Stephen Lang as “The Blind Man” in Don’t Breathe 2

 

            Stephen Lang (Tombstone, Public Enemies, Avatar) is back as the mysterious “Blind Man” in Don’t Breathe 2, the highly anticipated follow-up to the 2016 critical and commercial horror hit, Don’t Breathe. Quick thoughts of the first film before we dive into this one, Don’t Breathe in my opinion was one of the best horror films released during the 2010 decade as it took one of the most overused horror movie plots, the home invasion and did something completely new and original with it where it isn’t the people breaking in that’s the threat…it’s the man inside the house! 

            The first film had this somewhat claustrophobic atmosphere of being trapped in an old house with a creepy, blind man inside who has a particular set of skills. Add in some gory deaths, mostly likable protagonists, and a downright terrifying performance by Lang and you got yourself a home invasion horror movie that’s both smart and suspenseful. 

            I recall in my review of the first film saying that I’d be down for Don’t Breathe to become a new horror franchise because of all the possibilities the premise offered. Well…Don’t Breathe 2! With Sam Raimi (Evil Dead franchise, Spider-Man trilogy, Drag Me to Hell) returning as a producer alongside the first film’s director, Fede Álvarez (Evil Dead (2013), The Girl in the Spider’s Web, Chaos Walking) who co-wrote the sequel’s script alongside the director of this film, Rodo Sayagues in his directorial debut. 

            After the first film’s success both critically and financially, clearly this sequel will be just as bone-chillingly suspenseful and clever right? Unfortunately, no. 

            Don’t Breathe 2 isn’t awful and I do have to give it credit for not just doing the first movie again, but it feels like a sequel that’s desperately trying to continue the story of its predecessor and has no idea how to follow it up. With that said, Stephen Lang continues to be as creepy and mysterious as ever, though in this film he portrays The Blind Man more as an anti-hero rather than a straight-up horror villain, which I found…odd! But there’s also a handful of suspenseful moments and bloody kills in this movie. 

            The film is set about eight years after the events of the first movie, and follows blind, former Navy Seal, Norman Nordstrom (Lang) who lives in relative solitude with his adopted eleven-year-old daughter, Phoenix (Newcomer, Madelyn Grace) and pet Rottweiler, Shadow in the suburbs of Detroit. However, when another group of burglars break into his home again and kidnaps his daughter, Norman must use his military training and set of skills to rescue her…No turkey baster this time! 

            The film also stars Brendan Sexton III (Empire Records, Black Hawk Down, The Runaways) as Raylan and Steffan Rhodri (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1, Ironclad, Wonder Woman) as The Surgeon. 

            Overall, Don’t Breathe 2 is an extremely average follow-up to such a brilliant horror movie that offered a fresh, new take on the home invasion genre. This time however, it’s more like a revenge thriller that’s a little more action-focused compared to the first, unfortunately the film never quite does anything new or interesting with the set-up to the point where it just becomes a bland, John Wick or Taken imitator. 

            The film also tries to humanize Norman, as previously mentioned he has more of an anti-hero role this time which I’m extremely split on. On one hand, I do like the scenes of him and the little girl, you feel a strong bond between the two like a parent caring for a child, but on the other, EVERYTHING HE DID IN THE FIRST MOVIE! 

            I know they tried to make him the protagonist this time and there are times in both films where you can sympathize with him a little, but it doesn’t excuse the fact that he did horrible, nasty things in the first film, which makes it more difficult to get behind him aside from getting his daughter back. Maybe if this was developed better, then perhaps it could have worked, but as is it’s kind of awkwardly executed. 

            Stephen Lang is still excellent as The Blind Man, despite being mostly portrayed as the hero in this film, he still retains some of that sadistic, blood-hungry rage and haunting and mysterious presence from the first film. I know people enjoy the more goofy and traditional villain role of Lang’s character in Avatar, but I think this showcases his full acting capabilities much better. 

            The first half of this movie is really solid and suspenseful especially during the scene where the burglars break in. Watching both Lang and the daughter trying to maneuver around the house while it’s being broken into is very nerve-wracking and paced and edited perfectly, but by the halfway point it becomes another generic home invasion movie with a John Wick/Taken-esque finale which…just isn’t that interesting nor exciting. 

            Don’t Breathe 2 has some suspenseful moments and Lang gives one hell of a performance, but with a tired clichéd home invasion/revenge thriller plot that starts off strong but lost me during the third act and some really forgettable villains makes this horror sequel strictly for those extremely curious to watch a Don’t Breathe sequel, everyone else should just stick with the first film.