Breaking In

Director: James McTeigue
Screenplay: Ryan Engle
Minutes: 88
Year: 2018
Score: 7.00
Release: UPHE

I know that it is only fair to avoid going into a film with preconceived and unfair expectations. I do try to do just this. But, more often than not I come to a parallel that is too difficult for me to shake. For Breaking In my brain quickly flipped to David Fincher’s Panic Room.

From UPHE.com:
Gabrielle Union stars as a woman who will stop at nothing to rescue her two children being held hostage in a house designed with impenetrable security. No trap, no trick and especially no man inside can match a mother with a mission when she is dead set on Breaking In. Producers Will Packer (No Good Deed, Obsessed) and Union (Almost Christmas, Being Mary Jane) reunite for this original thriller directed by James McTeigue (V for Vendetta, Sense8).

While Breaking In does share some thematic similarities to the lesser known Fincher flick it certainly stands on its own two feet. The film is a genre combination of a heist, revenge, and protector and does a fair job at each while maintaining a PG-13 rating.

That rating makes me question the filmmakers intention because it would be very easy ratchet up the language and violence to engage with the audience a bit more. But in this era of superheroes I can see the studios interest in crafting an accessible film showcasing a mother as a real hero who will go to any length to save her children.

On top of this they have assembled a very diverse cast making it an alternative to the standard whitewashed suspense flicks. I’ve been impressed with Gabrielle Union since She’s All That so I knew she was capable of carrying the film but seeing the special features and knowing that she did many of her own stunts impressed me even more.

It is a bit of a struggle to give this film a blanket buy it recommendation. It is a good movie and I think it will certainly have a place in some collections, and rightfully so, but I think that you might want to take a moment to rent it, first. I hope you dig it but I also recognize that there are are lot of options for your time.

Special Features:

• Includes a digital copy of Breaking In – Unrated Director’s Cut Version (Subject to expiration. Go to NBCUCodes.com for details.)
• The Gas Station with Commentary by Director James McTeigue and Scriptwriter Ryan Engle
• Deleted/Extended Scenes with Commentary by Director James McTeigue and Scriptwriter Ryan Engle
• One Bad Mother…
• A Filmmaker’s Eye: James McTeigue
• A Lesson in Kicking Ass
• A Hero Evolved
• Feature Commentary with Director James McTeigue and Scriptwriter Ryan Engle

Director: 7 – Cinematography: 9 – Edit: 6 – Parity: 9 – Main performance: 8 – Else performance: 6 – Score: 5 – Sound: 8 – Story: 5 – Script: 7 – Effects: 7 –
Design: 8 – Costumes: 6 – Keeps interest: 9 – Lasting: 5