Breach (2020)

 

Streaming Services: Apple iTunes, Amazon Prime Video, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango Now, VUDU, Microsoft Store, Redbox, DirecTV, Xfinity
Movie Name/Year: Breach (2020)
Genre: Action, Sci-Fi
Length: 89 minutes
Rating: R
Production/Distribution: 308 Ent, Almost Never Films Inc., Aloe Entertainment, Film Mode Entertainment, Dutch FilmWorks, Saban Films, Signature Entertainment, Storm Pictures Korea
Director: John Suits
Writers: Edward Drake, Corey Large
Actors: Cody Kearsley, Bruce Willis, Rachel Nichols, Kassandra Clementi, Johnny Messner, Corey Large, Callan Mulvey, Timothy V. Murphy, Johann Urb, Ralf Moeller, Thomas Jane, Angie Pack, Swen Temmel, Elicia Davies, Alexander Kane, Robert Laenen, Adam Huel Potter, Mitchell Baker
 
Blurb from RottenTomatoes: Fleeing a devastating plague on Earth, an interstellar ark comes under attack from a new threat -- a shape-shifting alien force intent on slaughtering what's left of humanity.

Cat’s Point of View:

My expectations for Breach were relatively high, as I noted in my Top 20 Movies article for December 2020. I listed this film at #7 at that time and went as far as to say ‘shut up and take my money’ as part of my enthusiastic endorsement.
 
I have rarely been as disappointed in a film as I was with this one. I was so eager to watch this sci-fi thriller that I didn’t mind paying nearly $8.00 to rent it from my cable provider’s On Demand service. If this had been one of the $19.99 rentals, as many of these movies releasing to stream concurrently with theater runs have done, I would have been very upset. In this case, I at least got my money’s worth by watching it more than once.

You might wonder why I viewed this production multiple times if I was that disappointed in it. My answer is that my lackluster response to the film was exactly why I viewed it about two and a half times. I fell asleep during my first late-night viewing. I wondered if it was just a fatigue thing since that happens to me frequently, or if it was the movie that acted as a lullaby.
 
My second watch-through proved to me that fatigue had been the likely culprit, but also only furthered my frustration with the movie. My third watch-through was just to ensure I wasn’t getting it wrong. Was it really that bad? Was I really seeing what I thought? Unfortunately, my disappointment had merit.
 
Why was I so let down by Breach? Where do I even begin?

 
Let’s start with the thoughts I put forward with my Top 20 article in the film’s #7 listing. I was expecting something that blended elements from the Alien (1979) franchise and the Syfy channel TV series Helix (2014-2015). I’ve seen a lot of buzz surrounding the movie also compare it to elements from The Thing (1982). I can see where that comes from, but I don’t believe it borrows quite enough. That’s really neither here nor there.
 
I was excited to see Bruce Willis (Glass, Trauma Center, Hard Kill) and Thomas Jane (Standoff, 1922, The Expanse) sharing the screen together. They’ve both had experience with both action and space-themed projects in the past. This project did not utilize their full potential. It seems like Willis had some fun shooting this one if the candid production photos are to be believed… but this clearly wasn’t his best role. Jane barely had any screen time and the direction he received for what little time he had was apparently lackluster.

There were so many faults with this film that it was extremely hard to look past them. I really try very hard to find something positive to say, and I’m really struggling here. Probably the best thing I could offer was that Breach posed an interesting premise. If it had been treated correctly, this had the potential for being great… or at the very least far better than the film that was released.
 
The writing and some of the character interactions (which I imagine were direction-driven) were awkward and just odd. The situation on Earth just wasn’t adequately explained, and there were many plot holes that were large enough to swallow a bus. I’ve seen movies with shoestring budgets get far better bang for their buck than exhibited here. The effects were bargain basement, the shaky cam was annoying, and I couldn’t suspend disbelief for the creature effects. It felt like a poor rubber suit was lumbering around, or extremely amateur CGI. Don’t even get me started on the guns vs. lasers used in the fire-fights. The lighting and hazy settings were strange, and rather than otherworldly they came across nauseating.
 
Other elements bugged me as well, but in spite of my chagrin and disappointment, I am loath to spoil the film for any curious enough to watch it for themselves.
 
There are far better films out there. If you absolutely can’t stay away from this one, maybe wait until it appears on a subscription service you already pay for, rather than shelling out for it On Demand. 

 

Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score – 20%
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score – 46%
Metascore –  None
Metacritic User Score – 0.9/10
IMDB Score – 3.6/10
 
Trust the Dice: Cat’s Rating – 2/5
 
Movie Trailer: