Inhale

Directed by Baltasar Kormákur, Inhale follows a wealthy couple (Dermot Mulroney’s Paul and Diane Kruger’s Diane) as they’re forced to turn to the black market after their attempts at legally finding a lung donor for their dying child prove fruitless – with the film primarily detailing Paul’s ongoing (and increasingly perilous) efforts at tracking down a shady Mexican figure who may or may not be able to provide a new lung. It’s an inherently compelling premise that initially seems as though it’s going to be employed to middling effect, as Kormákur offers up an almost excessively deliberate opening half hour that’s compounded by ostentatiously gritty visuals and the disorienting (and, at the outset, confusing) bent of Walter Doty and John Claflin’s time-shifting screenplay. The repetitive midsection, which primarily consists of scene after scene of Mulroney’s character walking into dangerous situations, does give way to an admittedly engrossing third act, however, with the inclusion of an absolutely jaw-dropping ending effortlessly elevating Inhale to must-see territory. (It’s the kind of finale that’s sure to provoke arguments and discussions among viewers long after the credits have finished rolling.) There is, as a result, little doubt that Inhale is ultimately a far more resonant piece of work than one might have suspected at the outset, which effectively cements its place as an uneven thriller that benefits substantially from its stunner of a conclusion.

*** out of ****