Review -- Breaking In

Breaking In (2018) -- A good thriller is a rarity these days.  The genre has mostly fallen out of favor with audiences and was replaced by comic book blockbusters and family films in terms of box office success. While Breaking In does have its issues, it is an exhilarating entry in the summer film pantheon. A little bit of Panic Room combined with Trespass and a terrific female lead makes for an exciting nail-biter.

Shaun Russell (Gabrielle Union) is traveling with her two children (Ajiona Alexus and Seth Carr) to her childhood house, in order to prepare it for sale after her father's murder. Once they arrive, they discover that her father had transformed the place into a technological bastion, from the remote-controlled security and surveillance system to retractable window shields. It soon turns out that the three are not alone. Four men have broken in and are looking for money stashed away in a safe. After circumstances leave Shaun outside the house and her children inside as hostages, Shaun relies on her wits to rescue them and thwart the criminals...

The film does have problems; let us get that out of the way. The criminals are only occasionally threatening, especially when we see all the holes in their plan. Sure, they disabled the security system immediately upon arrival, but why not get rid of it altogether? They are not familiar with the house and do not know what it can do. It does not exactly look like they arrived five minutes before Shaun, either, and could have used the time to search for the safe and not just wonder where it was. On that note, I wish that we could have seen more of what the abode had to offer. It is almost the reverse situation from what we had with the 2006 When A Stranger Calls remake. Whereas that film had a house that it did not need, Breaking In has one that it requires, but does not use as much as imagination allows. It is also unbelievable *SPOILER* that one of the characters does not die or barely has bruises when something happens to them; they are not the Terminator. Finally, I wish that the writers had gone more into what Shaun's father was involved in and their relationship background. It would have provided more of a foundation for emotional investment in Shaun's own story and her lack of attachment to the locale. 

Now for the good aspects. Union is fantastic in her role and should be a lead more often. She balances vulnerability, resourcefulness and toughness that can only come from the motherly instinct, the emphasis on which is a nice twist on the genre and something not often seen in film. She was great in ABC's unfortunately canceled "Flashforward" as well -- seek it out. Alexus and Carr are incredible, acting out a natural bond and giving nuances to their parts with the siblings' knowledge of technology. I loved Johnny Klimek's breezy-yet-tense score, which added to the suspense build-up. A longtime Tom Tykwer collaborator who has worked on films like Run Lola Run and The Princess and the Warrior, Klimek is a wonderful choice. 

Breaking In is an old-fashioned thriller about ordinary people caught up in an extraordinary, frightening situation and, as such, is a breath of fresh air. Sure, we all love getting lost in superheroes' worlds and comic book adaptations. However, an unexpected hero -- or, better yet, heroine -- often fits the bill like no one else can.

7/10