top of page

'Hold Your Breath' review: Sluggish thriller is full of hot air


Courtesy of Searchlight

 

"Hold Your Breath" is a slow, monotonous thriller that feels as flimsy and diluted as the dust swirling throughout its setting. Attempting to thrive on atmospheric vibes, the film ultimately stumbles over its own ambition. Set during the late 1930s Dust Bowl, it features a solid score and impactful foley effects; the sounds of howling winds and raging storms are potent enough to overwhelm home entertainment systems. However, once the chaos subsides and the film tries to establish a rhythm, it reveals itself as a cheesy horror movie lacking a clear identity.


Directors Karrie Crouse and Will Joines, working from a script by Crouse, aim to elevate the material, and the domestic aspects of the narrative effectively contribute to the growing paranoia that unfolds midway through the film. Yet, "Hold Your Breath" often feels like it's spinning its wheels, leaving viewers waiting and wondering when something will truly happen.


Sarah Paulson delivers a restrained performance as Margaret Bellum, a mother struggling to protect her two daughters, Rose (Amiah Miller) and Ollie (deaf actor Alona Jane Robbins), while their father is away trying to make ends meet. Haunted by the loss of her third daughter, Ada, who succumbed to scarlet fever, Margaret faces the looming presence of the Grey Man—a fictional boogeyman from the girls' bedtime stories, said to be able to shape-shift within the dust.


When actor Ebon Moss-Bachrach appears as Wallace Grady, a traveling self-proclaimed man of the cloth, the narrative briefly gains intrigue. He claims to know Margaret’s husband and boasts supernatural healing abilities, even managing to stop one of Rose’s severe nosebleeds.


While Grady is an intriguing character, his role ultimately feels like a red herring. Whenever Moss-Bachrach shares the screen with Paulson, "Hold Your Breath" comes alive, as they engage in a compelling debate about each other's motives and the ambiguity of Grady’s arrival.


Unfortunately, just as the film begins to build momentum, it retreats into clunky haunted house tropes, reminding us that it lacks the foundation to rise above these tired clichés.

Perhaps in a theater, where the immersive sound design can fully envelop audiences, "Hold Your Breath" might resonate better. Still, it ultimately proves forgettable, fading from memory the moment the credits roll. Like dust in the wind. 


Grade: C- 


HOLD YOUR BREATH streams on Hulu Friday, October 3rd:


1 comment

1 Comment


neil jiohu
neil jiohu
2 days ago

网课帮手专注于留学生网课代修、网课代上等国外留学服务,我们致力于网课代修代上,期望成为本行业最靠谱、最具影响力的网站。我们把客户的需求放在首位,将策略和执行紧密结合,且不断的沟通评估并优化我们的方案,为客户提供一站式的网课辅助服务!我们拥有网课代修保分和分期付款等方案,客户可以根据自身不同的情况代上网课 http://www.wangkedaixiu.com/wkds/ 。我们的写手都是经过层层筛选,经验丰富。帮助客户考出好成绩,赢得了良好的口碑。

Like

Subscribe here to have every review sent directly to your inbox!

NEVER MISS A REVIEW!

Be the first to know!

Thanks for subscribing to TheOnlyCritic.com!

bottom of page