Breaking In

With recent films such as Get Out and A Quiet Place gracing our screens, it’s safe to say that thrillers are a popular choice right now. However, James McTeigue’s Breaking In is not one that lives up to its genre’s name.

The story follows Shaun (Gabrielle Union) who travels with her two children to her estranged father’s rural mansion following his sudden death. Upon arrival, things swiftly spiral out of control when it turns out that four intruders have chosen the same night to find and retrieve the contents of a safe that is – allegedly – somewhere in the house. Shaun’s two children become hostages in the building whilst she is stuck on the outside trying to break back in to save them.

With most thrillers following the pattern of the protagonists trying to break out of a confined and terrifying situation, this movie should have impressed viewers with an intriguing and gripping concept. Instead, the 90-minute film becomes dragging, with few character backstories, minimal suspense and some unnecessary lead-ins for feminist reactions (“you’re an oppressed woman!”). Even when deaths inevitably occur, it is more a relief that a conclusion is drawing nearer rather than a satisfying event in the story.

Union’s performance as a desperate and resourceful mother is one thing that keeps the viewer’s attention fixated to the screen. The four intruders, on the other hand, are often a little too amusing instead of providing much-needed intensity. Although Breaking In will provide audiences with some entertainment, it will not give them the suspense and tenacity that has been displayed by other recent thrillers.

Laura Ewing

Breaking In is released nationwide on 11^th May 2018.

Watch the trailer for Breaking In here: