If you have any inkling, even the slightest idea of what
Breaking In is all about, you, well, know exactly what
Breaking In is all about. It’s a stripped-down, to-the-point
home invasion thriller that delivers 100% what it promises. How much mileage
you get out of that depends on you, but it accomplishes precisely what it sets
out to do. But it’s easily watchable, even if there’s little substance, and
Gabrielle Union is terrific as a desperate, vengeful mother fucking up BillyBurke and his gang of goons.
When her father dies, Shaun (Union) takes her kids, Jasmine
(Ajiona Alexus) and Glover (Seth Carr), to his isolated house, the home she
grew up in, to clean it out and sell it. When they arrive, they find Eddie
(Burke) and his crew—a bland Proud Boy (Mark Furze), a bleach-blonde tweaker
with a conscience (Levi Meaden), and crazy-eyed Mexican Milo Ventimiglia
(Richard Cabral). There’s something in the house they want, they grab the kids,
and Shaun spends the rest of the movie fighting to get them back.
Breaking In doesn’t waste a lot of time
with background or backstory. It drops hints that Shaun’s dad was involved in shady
business, gives clues that Eddie has a military background, and vaguely
addresses Shaun’s life beyond the confines of this film. It sprinkles these
types of breadcrumbs throughout. But what matters most is the here and now. There’s
never a “this is why Shaun is a badass” moment, which is refreshing. She’s just
a smart, capable woman pushed to extremes. We learn this by watching what she
does, not by being told who she is.
The plot is generic and predictable, and though overall the
film’s completely forgettable, Union sells it as best she can. Burke and his
cronies chew the scenery in occasionally amusing ways--it is funny to watch them dance around swearing to maintain the PG-13 rating--but she carries the
load. She gives Shaun agency and drive, and though a weak movie surrounds her,
she’s a fantastic, compelling protagonist—both the character and performance
are much better than the movie they’re in. If nothing else, I hope
Breaking In makes people stand up and stay, “Holy shit, we
should cast Gabrielle Union.”
The son doesn’t bring much to the table, but Jasmine, the daughter,
is actually more interesting than most kids-in-peril roles. Not content to sit
idly by and be victimized, she takes action on her own. It’s nice to see a
young woman in a movie like this with a spine and she’s most definitely Shaun’s
daughter. Though like with Union, I wish she was in a better movie.
Despite a few standout elements, Breaking
In simply doesn’t offer much else. Even with a ticking clock, there’s
never any palpable tension. In moments of action, director James McTeigue
(V for Vendetta, The Raven) feels out of
his element—the action is not great, or coherently staged. Writer Ryan Engle
continues a string of bland thrillers that include Non-Stop
and The Commuter (and also Rampage oddly
enough), but this isn’t even as much fun as either of those.
I hate the phrase, “It is what it is,” but in the case of
Breaking In, there’s not much else to say. It’s great to see
a thriller like this fronted by a woman, especially a woman of color, but it’s
generic and toothless and destined to be largely forgotten. Which is frustrating
because Gabrielle Union is so good. She deserves much better than this, and so
do audiences. [Grade: C]
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