Sometimes, even the most enjoyable horror films can get lost in the wilderness.
Set in 1930s Oklahoma, Hold Your Breath takes place in the Dust Bowl, a place where vegetation is lost and clouds of dirt block out the sun. In the midst of this valley of dust live the Bellum family. After her husband leaves looking for work, Margaret (Sarah Paulson) and her two daughters, Rose (Amiah Miller) and Ollie (Alona Jane Robbins) do their best to keep their sparse farm alive. But their quiet (and struggling) lives are disrupted after the arrival of a mysterious stranger (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) arrives. Though he espouses kindness, Margaret is wary of his intentions and attempts to keep him away from her young girls.
Directed by Will Joines and Karrie Crouse (who also wrote the script), Hold Your Breath is an effective journey into the horrors of the mind. Setting the film in the brutal conditions of the Oklahoma desert, there’s simply a dryness about this film that makes it memorable. Using a (mostly) golden colour palette, Crouse and Joines immerse the viewer into their environment. Living in the Dust Bowl is meant to be a grind. Caught in a world devastated by a constant barrage of sandstorms, Crouse and Joines bathe the screen with bleeding oranges and yellows. Every moment outdoors leaves the viewer parched, as though we are also meant to feel the heat with these characters.
And, of course, it’s also worth mentioning another delightful performance by Paulson. As one of Hollywood’s reigning queens of horror, Paulson gives her all as Margaret. Within her performance, she encapsulates the fear of a parent who’s fighting desperately to protect her children yet also adds something more. Margaret is not only a matriarch on the defensive but also a woman who’s trying to hold herself together. With each cloth that she fills the gaps between boards, we also notice that the pressures of keeping her home secure for her children has begun to showcase the cracks within herself. In these moments, Paulson commits to the role, allowing herself to unravel before our eyes as she clings to what she believes is real.
Unfortunately, while Breath has its surprises, it never quite leaves you breathless. While Paulson is given lots of room to move, something about the script still feels a little empty. Don’t get me wrong. There’s a certain discombobulation about Crouse’s script that keeps the viewer off-kilter, leading to some genuine surprises. At times, Hold Your Breath is a puzzle box, wrapped in an enigma. However, when one finally cracks the code, the film feels like something’s missing inside. Like other examples of elevated horror of the modern era, Breath feels like it has something to say. With bold imagery like the dust storm and shifting realities, there’s plenty of space here to say something bold about feminine fury, breaking stereotypes or mental health. Even so, where other films have succeeded, Breath simply offers very little.
It’s fun and it’s sharp. But it also feels a little like a missed opportunity.
Now available on Disney+, Hold Your Breath is the sort of twisty tale that makes for an enjoyable night of horror screaming… er… streaming. Even so, there still seems to be something missing. Despite some strong visuals and another memorable step into horror by Paulson, Breath feels like it could have been even more.
Hold Your Breath is available on Disney+ on Thursday, October 3rd, 2024.
