Hold Your Breath

I just finished watching Hold Your Breath (2024) and man this movie was a very dull and boring experience.

Positives for Hold Your Breath (2024): Sarah Paulson gives a great performance as the main protagonist in this movie and she is the reason why I watched this movie in the first place. There was some intrigue to be had with this gothic old folk horror movie set in the country side during the 1930s. And finally, there is some great camerawork and sound design throughout the runtime.

Negative for Hold Your Breath (2024): Aside from Sarah Paulson, none of the characters are interesting and they are very bland. The movie also doesn't do anything with its premise or the main villain. And finally, the movie is very predictable by the time you reach the climax.

Overall, Hold Your Breath (2024) is a interesting horror movie with its premise, but it ends up being very generic with its execution.

Despite a really interesting concept and some really good camerawork, Hold Your Breath is once again an horror movie that doesn't really do a good job on being creative with it's interesting concept and ends up feeling basic, dull, and predictable in it's way.

Gothic and old folk country side horror is interesting and there are some good camerawork and sound designs throughout. Unfortunately, it's awful color presentation, bland writing and uninteresting characters doesn't really do a service to it's creative setting. The performances are solid and Sarah Paulson continues to be great with her personality and emotional depth acting.

For a first time directing, I can see the filmmaker having some talents and passion within this movie. But there is a lot of work to be done.

Feel free to ignore this poor rating on imdb, the movie only has it because most people won't watch anything horror-labeled that isn't greenscreen slop and/or cheap jump-scare galore.

In other words, this film has such a low rating because it is advertised as horror, and it is not, or at least not in the classic sense, but rather a depressing-disturbing psycho-thriller/drama, with hints of horror.

Apart from that misleading classification, I have nothing to complain about, it's beautifully filmed and fantastically acted - Sarah Paulson knocked it out of the park, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach (the goofy brother from The Bear) is not far behind. The direction and the script are generally good, there are some small kinks here and there, but really nothing terrible.

The setting - a dust storm in the backwoods of 1920s Oklahoma - is really something I haven't seen very often (outside of Courage the Cowardly Dog), and it gives the film a special atmosphere of hopelessness.

The movie is not light popcorn fun, in fact, it's really messed up and depressing, but it's also great, something I'd recommend to serious movie buffs as well.

I have just finished watching this movie on Disney+ and came away with a few points of view in this movie.

1) if your looking for a fast paced horror film then your watching the ring movie, this was more like a psychological thriller.

2) the acting from all involved was top notch but Sarah Paulson stole the show, I have yet to see a horrible performance from her.

3) it had a nice small twist near the end, now it wasn't one of these wow I didn't see it coming jump out your seat shock but it made the movie a lot better.

Now this movie will not be everyone's cup of tea but do your in the mood for a slow moving movie with a slight twist towards the end, this film is for you but if your looking a fast paced. Bloody movie then this one is not for you.

I thought it was well worth a watch and did enjoy it.

Loved the setting. Dust bowl era seems a great choice for a folk-horror film, and I hope we see more. The desolation and isolation are a perfect setting for stories of paranoia. Paulson - as always - is fantastic. The supporting cast was quite good, but I wish Ebon Moss-Bacharach had a bigger role. It's a slow burn, more creepy than scary, which will certainly put many horror fans off. The story takes its time and I thought delivered on its premise. Not sure what others reviewers didn't understand about "what was really going on". The backstory and resolution are pretty clear if you pay even the slightest attention. It won't blow you away, but if you like a moody, creep alow-burn story very well told, this one is worth your time.