Don’t Breathe 2

Directed by Rodo Sayagues, Don’t Breathe 2 follows Stephen Lang’s tough-as-nails blind man as he’s forced to spring into action after his daughter (Madelyn Grace’s Phoenix) is abducted by vicious criminals (led by Brendan Sexton III’s Raylan). First-time filmmaker Sayagues, working from a script written with Fede Álvarez, delivers a mostly decent thriller that gets off to a decidedly rocky start, as Don’t Breathe 2 suffers from an arms-length feel that’s heightened by an initial confusion regarding the time period in which it unfolds (ie it’s not immediately clear if this is a prequel or a sequel). Such concerns become moot once the picture’s first major suspense-oriented set-piece rolls around, with the effectiveness of this sequence, which follows the aforementioned criminals as they break into Lang’s character’s fortified home, paving the way for an admittedly hit-and-miss midsection that contains its fair share of agreeably violent interludes. Lang’s predictably compelling turn as the now-sympathetic protagonist (!) certainly plays a significant role in cementing Don’t Breathe 2‘s mild success, and it’s clear, ultimately, that the movie falls right in line with its equally watchable (yet undeniably erratic) 2016 predecessor.

**1/2 out of ****