Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		0.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		2.5
Overall		3.5

Don't Breathe 2 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Martin Liebman November 2, 2021

Don't Breathe 2 isn't a direct sequel to the original 2016 film Don't Breathe, but it is a successor in the same universe, following the same main character as he battles to save the life of a young girl he once rescued from the ashes of fire and must rescue again from the clutches of a gang with nefarious intent for her. The film requires little-to-no knowledge of the original to enjoy. It's nowhere near so tight and scary as that first film, but it's a decent enough home invasion picture with some teeth and gore behind it, good enough to stand on its own feet beyond the original's not so much sizeable, but present, shadow.

It has been some time since blinded Navy SEAL veteran Norman Nordstrom fought off home intruders. He'll be doing it again when he takes in a young girl he calls Phoenix (Madelyn Grace) whom he rescued from the ashes of a deadly fire that claimed her mother's life. He is training her in the art of survival, and she doesn't get out much. But when he grants her a quick leave into town with a trusted friend, a man named Raylan (Brendan Sexton III) spots her and seems fixated on her. That night, Raylan and a gang of armed thugs break into Norman's home looking for the girl. Violence ensues and the truth about Raylan's fixation on little Phoenix will soon be brought to light.

Don’t Breathe 2 is not especially reliant on the original. Audiences unfamiliar with, or who have forgotten details of, the original will still find this to be a rather well-rounded and accessible film, and that the main character is, essentially, a one-trick pony – a blinded combat vet with heightened senses a la Rutger Hauer in Blind Fury -- makes it easy to jump into his world and enjoy what is, here, a self contained story with no huge tentacles grasping back onto the first film. Plus, it's not as if this is a deeply developed character rooted in nuance and excellent scriptwriting. The first film was well made and fairly fresh, and this one is serviceably entertaining, but that's not because "The Blind Man" is some monument of excellent scriptwriting. It's because both films are well made and agreeably entertaining within their limited window parameters and because Stephen Lang does a fine job with the part's required physicality while bringing just enough of a personal dimension to the role to make him worth rooting for. New characters for this film are of the take-'em-or-leave-'em variety, but again acted and written well enough to bring the film up to passable par.

This story is slow to develop but once it finds itself at top gear it's fairly relentless for action intensity and structural confinement. The film is lean and mean, focused on task and pushing towards a surprisingly depraved, twisted, and perverted place that only amplifies the clear demarcation between the characters in the film, even as there's a push to populate the gray area in between in the first two acts. The production is very dark, stylistically a reinforcement of the macabre themes that develop and used as a simple tool in building tension, fear, and hopelessness. It's a good look, if not a somewhat trite look, but with the movie really only aiming to entertain and tickle the itch for something dark and eerie and violent, it fits.

Don't Breathe 2 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The included screenshots are sourced from a 1080p Blu-ray disc.

Sony's 2160p/HDR UHD presentation of Don't Breathe 2 offers a tighter and slightly more dynamic image compared to the companion and concurrently released Blu-ray, but the image remains limited by the film's low light and murky elements. The UHD fine-tunes the picture, nothing more. It holds finer precision detail, not by much, but the added sharpness is clear in A-B comparisons. Hairs are sharper and finer, facial details more intimate, and so forth, but the limited visibility and overall grim structure certainly keep the higher resolution from bringing out the sort of eye candy detail that populates more cheerfully oriented pictures. The HDR color spectrum renders a dark movie a bit more so, increasing black depth and reducing some of the overall brightness, creating a more suffocating, punishing, unforgiving tone and texture for the film. Most every shot is bathed in shadow, defined by low light, and lacking anything remotely resembling color pop and punch. Even the film's final shot, which is captured in more forgiving morning light, offers only marginally more color oomph compared to the Blu-ray. This is a good looking image as it is; the UHD tightens up the noise, rendering it less prominent but certainly still visible. Other source and encode issues are not present. This is not a dynamic image by any means, but those deciding between UHD and Blu-ray will find this the superior picture, albeit by degrees only.

Don't Breathe 2 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

One can quickly note how Don't Breathe 2's soundtrack further flourishes on the UHD format with a Dolby Atmos encode at work. The presentation is clearly more refined and spacious compared to the Blu-ray's 5.1 listen. It holds many of the same core characteristics for depth and detail but does so in a larger field of sonic fire, with additional opportunities for spacing and depth in the surround back and overhead channels. This means improved engagement with atmosphere to be sure, particularly the more subtle elements that bring tension to any number of scenes playing out in between action. Action elements, like gunfire and more pronounced music, hit hard with excellent, seamless spacing and clarity. The low end is active in support of sound effects and music alike, creating a deep and dynamic listening event. Dialogue is clear and center focused for the duration.

Don't Breathe 2 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Don't Breathe 2's UHD disc includes the same extras from the Blu-ray (not included): a few featurettes, two commentary tracks, and an extended ending. A Movies Anywhere digital copy code is included with purchase. This release ships with a non-embossed slipcover.

• Friends & Filmmakers (1080p, 4:46): A look at the collaboration between Director Rodo Sayagues and Writer Fede Álvarez. They cover the new story with familiar thrills, the picture's structure, past collaborations, and more.
• Bad Man (Slang is Back) (1080p, 3:14): A brief look at Lang's character and performance.
• Designing Deception (1080p, 5:07): Looking more closely at the visual style, photography, lighting, and choreography, particularly within the key set piece.
• Audio Commentary: Director Rodo Sayagues explores the film in English.
• Audio Commentary: Director Rodo Sayagues, Writer Fede Álvarez, and Cinematographer Pedro Luque discuss the film in Spanish.
• Extended Ending (1080p, 0:56): The ending, extended.
• Previews (2160p/HDR): Additional Sony titles.

Don't Breathe 2 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Don't Breathe 2 is a perfectly serviceable home invasion film with darkly macabre Horror overtones at play. Characters are relatively thin and the atmosphere is thick, even if the latter is also somewhat generic. Performances are fine within the limited characterization opportunities. Sony's UHD delivers good picture quality within the film's dark elements while the Atmos audio is first-rate. A few supplements are also included. Recommended.