Hold Your Breath

Plot

In 1930s Oklahoma amid the region's horrific dust storms, a woman is convinced that a sinister presence is threatening her family.

Cast

Outside of Paulson I wasn't really all that familiar with anybody involved. Paulson did a great job here, but essentially the same role as she played in Run (2020), thought that's not entirely a bad thing.

Verdict

Hold Your Breath was the missus's pick for movie night, based on the cover art and the fact it's advertised as such I think she believed this was to be a supernatural horror but let me assure you that's not at all what this is.

With an interesting setting it got my attention early, it's bleak, it's dark, it's fascinating and Paulson is a great actress and I've been a fan of hers ever since she played Merlyn Temple in American Gothic (1995-1998). The trouble is it lost my interest at a remarkable rate, why? It's so incredibly dull. Dust is a focal point, yes dust. Then we have the supposed supernatural element which is kept amiguous, then you have very confusing plot devices and it all slowburns to a predictable cliched finale that left me entirely unsatisfied.

The setting is great, Paulson is great, everything else is a bona fide insomnia cure and as engaging as the dust particles it insists on showing us.

Rants

I'm starting to think about 50% of Hollywood horrors are just part of the mental health sub-genre which quite frankly I despise. I get it, more than you realize but I just don't think it makes for very entertaining viewing not to mention that it usually invalidates the whole film by hitting you with "It was all in their head" tropes which I find rather insulting to the viewer. Each to his/her own but for me this is the weakest horror sub-genre and needs shelving for a while for its own good.

The Good

Sarah Paulson Great setting Intriguing opening

The Bad

Gets dull real fast Very weird writing Slow burns to nothing.

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.

Hulu has churned out some fantastic original movies. One of these, 2020's 'Run,' also happens to have starred Sarah Paulson, and I've otherwise found Paulson to be a terrific, reliable actress who commands strong presence, personality, and emotional depth. The very premise is ripe with enormous potential - it can't be overstated how terrifying nature can be at its most fierce and unforgiving, and Oklahoma during the Great Depression couldn't be more fit as a setting. Such conditions are perfect for a tale of psychological horror, pushing the limits of the human mind as it frays; for further evidence, see Victor Sjöström's 1928 classic 'The wind,' which to this day remains one of the greatest films ever made. To help stir the pot here, the first act gives us a creepy folk tale; a mother with a troubled history as she tends alone to her two daughters and dead land; and scenes of mother Margaret's small "community" which accentuate her isolation and solitude, the desperation of the extreme circumstances, and indeed Margaret's mental state.

'Hold your breath' is filled with fine possibilities, and more than not I believe it firmly succeeds. Paulson is a swell anchor for the picture, and her co-stars are just as excellent in their supporting parts, including Amiah Miller as oldest daughter Rose. The effects are superb, even as computer-generated imagery is employed in abundance; the more tactful the usage is the more effective they are, and practical effects and stunts are impeccable. In addition to even the keen use of lighting, Colin Stetson's original score of unnerving soundscapes lends considerably to the atmosphere herein. The production design and art direction are filled with splendid detail, not to mention the costume design, hair, and makeup. The feature is well made by all modern standards, really, and sure enough, Karrie Crouse has filled her screenplay with super ideas. The narrative is compelling, and the scene writing and characterizations are strong. All the ingredients are here for a gripping, disturbing horror-thriller, and at that one that also carries meaningful notes of tragedy.

The problem I have is that in execution this sadly lacks the careful subtlety that would have allowed all the best potential to come to fruition. In shaping their first full-length title, Crouse and Will Joines are - if sometimes only by degrees - too forceful and upfront with their direction, and in fact too many other elements irregularly bear the same fault. This includes the acting, the visual effects, sometimes the editing, some sound effects, and even Stetson's music. It took a while for me to even come around on the introduction in the second act of a definitive figure, yet though ultimately I think the notions in the writing are fabulous, the realization of them is often too brusque to completely achieve the desired effect. There is marvelous strength here, but it is partly scattered, and partly diminished by the heavy-handedness, however we may measure it. None of this is to say that 'Hold your breath' is not worthwhile; I do like it, and it's good enough to warrant checking out if you have the opportunity. May Crouse and Joines continue to grow in their skills, and I look forward to seeing what they do in the future. It's just unfortunate that when all is said and done this one piece feels unremarkable when it may have been intensely grabbing and chilling, so though it's decent, it doesn't exactly demand viewership.

The premise for "Hold Your Breath" seemed promising and the fact that the movie has an R rating and Sarah Paulson as the lead character made me curious. Sadly there is not too much going on in this Psychological Thriller. Apart from the setting and the performance of Paulsen, there's not much to be seen here. You are introduced to the same tropes that we see over and over again in this genre. The characters aren't interesting enough to make me really care about what happens which is not the fault of the actors by the way because the overall acting was pretty solid. However the movie definitely has a pacing problem and even the end was not able to redeem the viewer. The movie isn't terrible but I was really hoping for more and not this clichee-filled and rather forgettable movie. [4,9/10]

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.