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- What Is Breathe About?
- Critical and Commercial Response to Breathe
- How Breathe Has a Second Chance on Paramount+
As a film critic who has seen his fair share of cinematic disasters and masterpieces alike, I must say that Breathe falls squarely into the former category. This sci-fi thriller, starring Milla Jovovich and Jennifer Hudson, was met with a chorus of boos and hisses during its initial release in April 2024.
On April 26, 2024, the sci-fi thriller Breathe, initially met with minimal marketing, fanfare, and critical praise, now has a second opportunity to captivate streaming audiences on Paramount+. Despite its star-studded cast featuring Milla Jovovich and Jennifer Hudson, the film struggled to connect with viewers, receiving poor reviews and grossing just $239,000 worldwide after both its theatrical and VOD release (according to Box Office Mojo).
Despite the unfavorable reviews, the movie “Breathe” has climbed over a thousand spots on streaming charts (according to Just Watch), suggesting its rising popularity on the platform. A significant advantage of contemporary film distribution is that even if a movie fails to meet expectations during its initial theater run, streaming services can boost its viewership and sometimes alter public opinion. While “Breathe” might be a Razzie nominee by the end of the year, at least it’s generating more revenue now than it did during its first release.
What Is Breathe About?
In the underworld, Maya and Zora stumble upon other living people who are grappling with their harsh surroundings, finding it difficult to breathe and survive. Instead of uniting to discover ways out of this dire predicament, the main conflict revolves around these survivors competing to construct a machine that produces oxygen. Once this contraption is functional, they journey from one sanctuary to another. Within the underground community, there’s Tess (Jovovich) and her partner Lucas (Sam Worthington), who carry dangerous weapons and their trustworthiness remains questionable.
In the intriguing psychological dance between Maya and Tess, the movie ‘Breathe’ unfortunately succumbs to a series of overused tropes, ultimately resulting in an underwhelming and imitative production that echoes superior sci-fi films. One particularly egregious scientific flaw in the film undermines its entire narrative, suggesting that Earth’s oxygen level in 2039 has plummeted from 27% to 5%. However, a six percent increase over a 15-year period (from 2024 to 2039) is highly implausible given that the average Earth oxygen level usually hovers around 21%, with a 6% rise over such a short span being unrealistic. In stark contrast to classic science fiction thrillers, the dramatic tension in ‘Breathe’ falls flat and fails to engage viewers.
Critical and Commercial Response to Breathe
Out of all the films released this year, “Breathe” has received some of the lowest ratings. It currently boasts a 17% score on Rotten Tomatoes, a 26% audience rating on the same platform, a 3.9 rating on IMDb, and a 3.3 Metacritic user rating from viewers. This suggests that both professional critics and average moviegoers have found this film wanting, with few enthusiasts to champion its potential virtues.
This film seems overly simplified, rushing through its conflicts without proper development and never forming a clear symbolic message. It demonstrates that brevity doesn’t always equate to quality, not even within compact genres.
A significant issue lies in the repetitive storyline penned by Simon, as he focuses excessively on portraying family relationships at the expense of creating a surprising climax. Additionally, the script’s uneven tone causes turbulence in the narrative flow, resulting in a shallow experience for viewers to engage with. According to Collider’s critique:
The breath is just hot air and nothing substantial. It’s as if there’s an emptiness where a film should be, pulling all the air from the room until it’s completely vacant.
If anything, streaming platforms have shown us that a film’s box office success doesn’t always translate into high digital viewership. This is evident with the resurgence of “Breathe” on Paramount+, which is gaining popularity due to the captivating performances by Oscar-winning actress Jennifer Hudson (“Dreamgirls”) and Milla Jovovich. Both these talented actors have a knack for making even mediocre content shine.
How Breathe Has a Second Chance on Paramount+
As reported by Just Watch, the movie “Breathe” has surged into the Top 200 most popular streaming titles, rising an impressive 1,058 places. This film featuring Jennifer Hudson was added to Paramount+ on August 28, 2024, and in less than a week, it’s garnered steady viewership. For actors Hudson, Jovovich, Simon, and Bristol, having new viewers discover the movie four months after its lackluster box office performance must be incredibly rewarding. In fact, the most favorable aspect of The Guardian’s review gave the film 2 out of 5 stars, praising the performances while acknowledging that “Breathe” serves as a “solidly acted but underwhelming post-apocalyptic thriller.
Despite some issues with an unsurprising plotline, a fluctuating tone, and questionable scientific foundations, the movie Breathe is making its way onto Paramount+ thanks to its impressive performances. In a rare favorable critique, Film Authority encourages fans of Milla Jovovich to tune in, praising her performance by saying, “The intense sci-fi confrontation in Breathe highlights Milla Jovovich’s remarkable acting skills effectively.
After “Breathe“, Hudson will lend his voice to a character in the animated movie “Pierre the Pigeon-Hawk“, while Jovovich is scheduled to appear in the fantasy film “In the Lost Lands“.
Breathe is available to stream on Paramount+.
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2024-09-07 05:31