Breathe

There is a specific kind of claustrophobia that comes from watching a movie where the most valuable resource isn’t money or love, but a simple, clean inhale. We’ve seen the world end in fire, ice, and zombies, but Breathe (2024) opts for a silent, invisible apocalypse: the oxygen is simply gone. It’s a premise that feels uncomfortably tethered to our current era of climate anxiety and post-pandemic isolation, turning the act of survival into a high-stakes plumbing problem. I watched this while eating a bag of slightly stale popcorn that I found in the back of my pantry, which felt oddly thematic given the scarcity of resources on screen.

Oxygen is the New Gold

Directed by Stefon Bristol, a protégé of Spike Lee who previously gave us the clever time-travel indie See You Yesterday, this film moves the needle from Brooklyn streets to a barren, rust-colored future. The story centers on Maya, played with a weary, protective edge by Jennifer Hudson (Dreamgirls), and her daughter Zora, portrayed by Quvenzhané Wallis (Beasts of the Southern Wild). They are hunkered down in an underground bunker designed by Maya’s husband, Darius (Common), who has disappeared into the toxic haze of the surface.

The "world-building" here is handled with the efficiency of a streaming-era budget. We don’t see the fall of civilization; we see the grime on the oxygen filters and the terrifying math of a ticking clock. When a group of strangers led by Tess (Milla Jovovich, looking far more grounded here than in her Resident Evil days) arrives at the door claiming to know Darius, the film shifts from a survival drama into a tense, single-location thriller. It’s a classic "don't open the door" scenario, but when the people outside are carrying the promise of a working oxygen generator, the locks feel a lot flimsier.

A Standoff in the Shadows

While the film is marketed as an action-thriller, the "action" is less about choreographed ballets and more about the desperate, clumsy struggle for air. There’s a particular sequence involving a breach in the bunker that caught me off guard—not because of an explosion, but because of the frantic, panicked sound design. You can hear the hiss of the precious atmosphere escaping, and for a few minutes, it plays like a very expensive escape room where the prize is just the ability to not pass out.

Milla Jovovich is effectively cast against type here. Usually, she’s the one kicking the door down to save humanity; in Breathe, she’s the desperate interloper who might be a savior or a scavenger. The chemistry between her and Sam Worthington (Avatar), who plays the muscle of her group, provides a nice foil to the fractured maternal bond between Jennifer Hudson and Quvenzhané Wallis. It’s interesting to see Wallis—who we all remember as the powerhouse child lead from a decade ago—navigating the transition into more mature, physically demanding roles. She brings a necessary stubbornness to Zora that keeps the character from being just another "daughter in peril."

The Streaming Trap

The film was produced by Thunder Road, the same outfit behind the John Wick franchise, but don't expect any "gun-fu" here. This is a much grittier, smaller affair. Filmed largely in Pennsylvania, the production makes the most of its limited scope, but you can occasionally see the seams. In the current landscape of cinema, where mid-budget sci-fi is often dumped onto streaming platforms with little fanfare, Breathe feels like a victim of its own modesty. It has big ideas about environmental collapse and the ethics of survival, but the execution often feels trapped by its "bottle movie" structure.

The screenplay by Doug Simon tries to inject mystery into the proceedings—can we trust Tess? What really happened to Darius?—but the answers aren't quite as shocking as the film seems to think they are. It’s a movie that lives and dies on its atmosphere. When the characters are outside in their bulky, improvised environment suits, the cinematography by Felipe Vara de Rey captures a world that looks like it’s been bleached by a dying sun. Those moments are the most effective, highlighting the sheer vulnerability of a human being when the very air is an enemy.

There is a recurring theme of legacy and what parents owe their children in a dying world, which is a conversation very much at the forefront of contemporary sci-fi. However, Breathe often prioritizes the mechanics of its thriller plot over the emotional weight of its premise. It’s a solid enough way to spend 90 minutes, but it lacks that final, lung-bursting gasp of originality that would make it a standout in a crowded genre.

Ultimately, the film functions as a decent showcase for its talented cast, particularly Jennifer Hudson, who proves she can carry a genre piece without needing a musical number to ground her. It engages with our current fears of environmental collapse without becoming a lecture, even if it doesn't quite stick the landing on the mystery front. It’s the kind of film that works best on a rainy afternoon when you’re already feeling a bit cooped up. Just make sure your own vents are clear before you hit play.