Don't Breathe 2 Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		2.5
Overall		3.5

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

The digitally sourced image translates well to the 1080p Blu-ray format. It's crisp and confident, clear and capable, at least within its visual confines. This is a dark film, visually dreary and at times almost depraved, particularly in the dank basement set piece but even in the run-down home as the action plays out in low light and at night. Visible details are appropriately sharp and clear but a traditionally robust image this is not. Close-ups, even in dark, reveal enough core detail on faces and clothes to carry the image's HD essentials. The color palette is flat and made of various shades of black and brown with not a lot of punch or pop or diversity, again hindered by the flood of low light and nighttime settings and set pieces. Blacks are decently deep, never lightening up and never crushing detail, but not exactly models for true black depth, either. Skin tone accuracy is limited to the lighting. Noise is fairly pervasive throughout, particularly, again, in low light. There are no other major source distractions and no serious encode flaws, either. This is not a traditionally "good looking" movie but it holds serve within its natural parameters.

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

Sony's DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack is big, bold, and dynamic. A chase scene just a couple of minutes into the movie offers expressively deep and detailed music, excellent stage traversal of various sound effects, and wonderful flow as the action moves from one side to another. These core characteristics remain throughout the film, in high intensity action and subtle cat-and-mouse scenes alike. The track employs and extends excellent detail to critical atmospheric effects, like creaks in the old house, footfalls breaking the silence, little things that are vital to supporting the mood and tension in the early goings of the home invasion sequence. As things get more intense, so does the track. Gunshots tear through the stage with some of the most pronounced depth and ferocious intensity one is going to find. Other action elements are loud and detailed, never relenting in the seamless blend of intensity and clarity. Music is large, wide along the front and well dispersed through the back with balanced LFE output in support. Dialogue is clear and center positioned for the duration. While the companion and concurrently released UHD has more to offer in terms of immersion through available channels, nobody listening exclusively to this 5.1 track will walk away disappointed; it's excellent.

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

Don't Breathe 2 includes 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 (1080p): Additional Sony titles.

Don't Breathe 2 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 Blu-ray delivers a perfectly good picture quality within the film's dark elements while the 5.1 lossless audio is first-rate. A few supplements are also included. Recommended.