Back in 2016, audiences were treated to a chilling home invasion horror flick titled Don't Breathe, which placed Avatar's Stephen Lang in the main role of a disabled Iraq Veteran, who ends up defending his home from a group of young intruders with the story revealing a significant twist regarding his character. The film became a surprise critical and box office hit with its sequel arriving five years later to disappointing results. Although the sequel retains Lang in the main role with more insight given to his characters backstory, Don't Breathe 2's story direction feels misguided with the end result being a well-crafted yet underwhelming experience.
Set eight years after the events of the first film, Don't Breathe 2 has Blind veteran Norman Nordstrom (Stephen Lang) hiding out in an isolated cabin with his adopted daughter (Madelyn Grace). Their quiet life becomes disrupted when a group of unseemly criminals kidnap her, prompting Norman to use his darkly creative instincts in rescuing her. Despite its efforts, Don't Breathe 2's plot feels like a betrayal of the first film with the filmmakers attempting to make Norman more sympathetic to audiences, which ultimately doesn't fit given his characters evil deeds. The first film took audiences by complete surprise with it being a well-executed thriller, that introduced a new kind of antagonist to audiences. The filmmakers behind Don't Breathe 2 attempt to transform his character in a style similar to Terminator 2: Judgment Day with Nordstrom going from previously being a monster to becoming a more redeemable figure in the sequel, leaving it devoid of the first films mystery feel. As hard as the sequel tries, the filmmakers struggle to find a sensible path forward for the main character with its decline feeling like a step down from the surprising effectiveness of its predecessor.
Despite its struggles in the story department, the one area where the sequel thrives is the performances from the main cast. Lang once again brings an imposing presence to his character with him carrying the film on his shoulders, while not appearing to miss a character beat with his performance. Lang's interesting acting moments are those where his character talks to Phoenix in a father-and-daughter type relationship with his raspy, broken figure then him shown instantly switching into the vengeful killer that audiences know him as. The powerhouse performance which Lang gives his character helps keep audiences engaged despite the questionable choices made with the films narrative. Madelyn Grace largely impresses as Norman's adopted daughter Phoenix with the two working beautifully together. Brendan Sexton lll and Fiona O' Shaughnessy both deliver effectively chilling performances as Phoenix's biological parents Raylan and Josephine with the former revealed to be a gang leader. The cast for Don't Breathe 2 as a whole is reliable and ultimately deliver believable performances with Lang commanding the screen.
Replacing Fede Alvarez who helmed the first film, Rodo Sayagues takes over the directing reigns with him proving to be a competent replacement. He carries a similar staging of suspense that compliments Alvarez's work on the first, along with giving the sequel a dark atmosphere with cinematography that places a heavy emphasis on blue lighting. He keeps things moving at a relatively fast-pace with a score which proves effective in conveying the stories suspense. Although his work falls within the category of being decent, Sayagues style of building suspense isn't quite as well-crafted as Alvarez's despite him creating some effective moments of suspense. The sequels directing ultimately lacks the skillful craftsmanship that Alvarez displayed in the first film.
The area where the sequel loses its momentum in matching the first lies within its writing. As ambitious as the screenplay aims to be in showing Norman's attempt to recreate the family stolen from him, the audience doesn't buy his sudden reversal in character this time around. The strength of the story lies in the dynamic between Norman and Phoenix with the former attempting to fill the void of his daughters loss at the hands of a drunk driver. The decision to further explore Norman's character was a bold move by the filmmakers, given that the sequel needed to differentiate from the original rather than be a direct copy-cat. The main issues with the story is how offbeat it feels given how the first film ended. Having the sequel take place 8 years after the last film not only feels random, but distances itself to the point where the two movies only feel connected by its main character with them being entirely different in nature. As much as the writers try to make Norman redeemable here, they can't erase the sinister plan that he had for Rocky's character in the first. In combating this, the script goes to extra lengths to paint the intruders of this story as being far worse individuals than Norman, particularly given their plans for Phoenix's character. The latter is about the only thing that audiences can agree upon in seeing Norman as a more improved individual this time around. The confusion as to whether Norman should be seen as a good or bad person ends up being one of the films most glaring issues with the question being promoted as to why bother making a sequel to the first Don't Breathe if Norman isn't going to continue being a boogeyman.
Part of the reason the original worked so well was the fact that Norman's background was a mystery, making him more mysterious and creepy as an antagonist. The sequels attempts at delivering more insight to his character removes the edge that the first film gained from not providing enough answers. The biggest problem Don't Breathe 2 has is not knowing where it wants to go with the story, ultimately making it feel like an attempt to cash in on the first films success. Despite carrying some tense action-packed scenes and solid performances, Don't Breathe 2 falls short of the first film with a big reason being its struggle in trying to extend a plot that should've ended as being a stylish home invasion thriller. Fans of the original are better off rewatching that film rather than experiencing the sharp decline in quality that the second exhibits.
Final Verdict: Skip It.
Images Courtesy Of Sony Pictures Entertainment
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