
Don't Breathe 2
By Jeffrey M. Anderson,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Wildly gory horror sequel has a twisted moral compass.

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Don't Breathe 2
Community Reviews
Based on 3 parent reviews
Intense, gripping thriller has gruesome violence
“If it ain’t broke don’t fix it “
What's the Story?
In DON'T BREATHE 2, the Blind Man -- Norman Nordstrom (Stephen Lang) -- has been raising his daughter, Phoenix (Madelyn Grace), teaching her survival skills and homeschooling her. He rarely lets her out to take trips to town, but one day he lets her go in the company of delivery person Hernandez (Stephanie Arcila). While out, Phoenix encounters a sinister man (Brendan Sexton III) who seems a little too interested in her. Late that night, three men break into Norman and Phoenix's home. Phoenix uses her training to evade the intruders, while Norman dispatches most of them. But, unfortunately, Phoenix is taken. Who are her attackers, and what do they want? And can Norman save her in time?
Is It Any Good?
This sequel, which turns the original movie's deadly Blind Man into the protagonist, has a few deft, intense sequences, but its ridiculous villains and twisted moral compass ultimately sink it. Directed by Rodo Sayagues, screenwriter of the original Don't Breathe and the Evil Dead remake, the wildly gory Don't Breathe 2 is at its best with the cat-and-mouse elements, such as Phoenix cleverly dodging the invaders, creating diversions, and scrambling into unlikely hiding places -- even hanging off of the edge of a staircase. Another sequence has Norman in an unfamiliar basement, gaining the advantage after a broken water pipe covers the floor in sloshing water. A third takes place dangerously close to the edge of an empty swimming pool.
But the villains are a huge downside. At first, they seem to be veterans of the war in Iraq, but they ultimately seem to be two-bit psychopaths or members of some half-baked street gang. Their real motivations are meant to be a surprise, but as each piece of the puzzle is revealed, it makes less and less sense. (Suffice it to say that showing up at Phoenix's house in the middle of the night with guns shouldn't have been their smartest plan.) Norman is likewise problematic: He's very tough, but he's haunted by his hideous misdeeds and is beaten so badly that his yelps of pain start to wear viewers down. He's a truly sad character, perhaps an ill fit for an "entertainment" thriller like Don't Breathe 2. A strange coda further indicates complete emotional detachment.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about Don't Breathe 2's violence. How did it make you feel? Was it exciting? Shocking? What did the movie show or not show to achieve this effect? Why is that important?
How intense is the danger that Phoenix finds herself in? How does she react to it? How does a child in peril change the nature of the movie's violence?
How do you feel about the Blind Man/Norman being recast as a hero? Is he redeemed in the end? Is he forgivable? Does he become a better person? If so, how?
How does this sequel compare to the original? Does it feel like a creative or necessary extension? If so, how?
Is the movie scary? What's the appeal of horror movies? Why do people sometimes like to be afraid?
Movie Details
- In theaters: August 13, 2021
- On DVD or streaming: October 27, 2021
- Cast: Stephen Lang , Brendan Sexton III , Madelyn Grace
- Director: Rodo Sayagues
- Studio: Sony Pictures Releasing
- Genre: Horror
- Run time: 90 minutes
- MPAA rating: R
- MPAA explanation: strong bloody violence, gruesome images, and language
- Last updated: June 20, 2023
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