‘Hold Your Breath’ review: The fantastic Sarah Paulson can’t save a horror classic [TIFF]

“Hold your breath” are the directors Karrie Crouse and Will Joines‘ debut album developed as part of Sundance Institute’with the Writer’s Lab program and probably a passion project. Unfortunately, the extremely familiar and well-worn premise of cabin heat makes it a very repetitive and derivative experience – and it can’t escape the shadow of its many predecessors that covered similar ground. Do something for dust Alejandro Amenabar’s “Others” made for light, but lacks formal command, palpable texture and surrounding atmosphere. Sarah Paulsonbut she gives it her all in a steely lead performance that delivers intensity and vulnerability as a wife and mother grappling with grief.

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In 1933, Margaret (Paulson) lives in the dust bowl of Oklahoma with her two daughters, Rose (Amiah Miller) and Ollie (Alona Jane Robbins). Her husband is away on business and her other daughter, Ada, is dead. It’s an almost apocalyptic hellhole, with dust storms and drought ravaging the land, everything is permanently covered in dust, and there’s no greenery anywhere, works. Margaret has to protect her children from the dust, which means that all cracks and gaps in walls and doors are carefully plugged, masks are worn outside, etc. These sequences resemble similar sequences Nicole Kidman protects her children in “The Others”. One of the daughters is deaf and non-verbal, as in “Peaceful place.” Soon everyone begins to focus on the legend – that of the gray man – which reconstructs itself and dissolves into dust, entering people and making them do terrible things. The gray man is like “The Babadook.”

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Other people, such as Margaret’s cousin Esther (Annaleigh Ashford), on the verge of breaking down, and the mysterious vagabond Grady (Ebon Moss-Bachrach), contribute to the hysteria and paranoia of the atmosphere. “Hold Your Breath” dissipates any sense of tension or stakes thanks to its predictable rhythms. The film feels almost half an hour longer than its 94 minutes. The repetitive routines of clearing dust and blocking walls are tiresome, and there’s little variety of locations or number of characters on screen to create or maintain interest.

The shooting style also contributes to the claustrophobia, which unfortunately relies almost exclusively on close-up and medium shots, and only the exteriors are intended for some long shots or masterful compositions. Far from making the film feel intimate, “Hold Your Breath” feels closed off. It’s quite televised in nature and, unsurprisingly, a streaming film – soon to premiere on Hulu. The CGI in the many dust storms is more than passable for a modest production compared to “Mad Max” franchise.

The actors try to breathe life into the material. Paulson gets a chance to carry the film and proves she’s up to the task. Among the children, Amiah Miller definitely makes an impression as the older daughter, who actually becomes the protagonist in the last act. Moss-Bachrach, one of the successful stars of the series “bear,” is appropriately menacing and looks oddly period-appropriate, the kind of face you’d see in the 1930s. The all-adult cast puts in the highlights you’d expect given the setting and time period.

“Hold Your Breath” is an odd beast – not enough thrills for horror fans nor blood and gore for slasher fans. Even as a pure drama it is not entirely successful. Paulson is already an established scream queen at this point, having starred in many Ryan Murphy productions. Her fans will find the most value in “Hold Your Breath” as they see it gradually fall apart as it plays. Other audiences will have a hard time getting involved because Hold Your Breath will always remind them of other, better movies they could be watching instead. [D]

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