Aguanta la respiración

I just finished watching Hold Your Breath (2024) and man this movie was a very dull and boring experience.

Positives for Hold Your Breath (2024): Sarah Paulson gives a great performance as the main protagonist in this movie and she is the reason why I watched this movie in the first place. There was some intrigue to be had with this gothic old folk horror movie set in the country side during the 1930s. And finally, there is some great camerawork and sound design throughout the runtime.

Negative for Hold Your Breath (2024): Aside from Sarah Paulson, none of the characters are interesting and they are very bland. The movie also doesn't do anything with its premise or the main villain. And finally, the movie is very predictable by the time you reach the climax.

Overall, Hold Your Breath (2024) is a interesting horror movie with its premise, but it ends up being very generic with its execution.

Plot

In 1930s Oklahoma amid the region's horrific dust storms, a woman is convinced that a sinister presence is threatening her family.

Cast

Outside of Paulson I wasn't really all that familiar with anybody involved. Paulson did a great job here, but essentially the same role as she played in Run (2020), thought that's not entirely a bad thing.

Verdict

Hold Your Breath was the missus's pick for movie night, based on the cover art and the fact it's advertised as such I think she believed this was to be a supernatural horror but let me assure you that's not at all what this is.

With an interesting setting it got my attention early, it's bleak, it's dark, it's fascinating and Paulson is a great actress and I've been a fan of hers ever since she played Merlyn Temple in American Gothic (1995-1998). The trouble is it lost my interest at a remarkable rate, why? It's so incredibly dull. Dust is a focal point, yes dust. Then we have the supposed supernatural element which is kept amiguous, then you have very confusing plot devices and it all slowburns to a predictable cliched finale that left me entirely unsatisfied.

The setting is great, Paulson is great, everything else is a bona fide insomnia cure and as engaging as the dust particles it insists on showing us.

Rants

I'm starting to think about 50% of Hollywood horrors are just part of the mental health sub-genre which quite frankly I despise. I get it, more than you realize but I just don't think it makes for very entertaining viewing not to mention that it usually invalidates the whole film by hitting you with "It was all in their head" tropes which I find rather insulting to the viewer. Each to his/her own but for me this is the weakest horror sub-genre and needs shelving for a while for its own good.

The Good

Sarah Paulson Great setting Intriguing opening

The Bad

Gets dull real fast Very weird writing Slow burns to nothing.

The premise for "Hold Your Breath" seemed promising and the fact that the movie has an R rating and Sarah Paulson as the lead character made me curious. Sadly there is not too much going on in this Psychological Thriller. Apart from the setting and the performance of Paulsen, there's not much to be seen here. You are introduced to the same tropes that we see over and over again in this genre. The characters aren't interesting enough to make me really care about what happens which is not the fault of the actors by the way because the overall acting was pretty solid. However the movie definitely has a pacing problem and even the end was not able to redeem the viewer. The movie isn't terrible but I was really hoping for more and not this clichee-filled and rather forgettable movie. [4,9/10]

Despite a really interesting concept and some really good camerawork, Hold Your Breath is once again an horror movie that doesn't really do a good job on being creative with it's interesting concept and ends up feeling basic, dull, and predictable in it's way.

Gothic and old folk country side horror is interesting and there are some good camerawork and sound designs throughout. Unfortunately, it's awful color presentation, bland writing and uninteresting characters doesn't really do a service to it's creative setting. The performances are solid and Sarah Paulson continues to be great with her personality and emotional depth acting.

For a first time directing, I can see the filmmaker having some talents and passion within this movie. But there is a lot of work to be done.

Loved the setting. Dust bowl era seems a great choice for a folk-horror film, and I hope we see more. The desolation and isolation are a perfect setting for stories of paranoia. Paulson - as always - is fantastic. The supporting cast was quite good, but I wish Ebon Moss-Bacharach had a bigger role. It's a slow burn, more creepy than scary, which will certainly put many horror fans off. The story takes its time and I thought delivered on its premise. Not sure what others reviewers didn't understand about "what was really going on". The backstory and resolution are pretty clear if you pay even the slightest attention. It won't blow you away, but if you like a moody, creep alow-burn story very well told, this one is worth your time.