HOLD YOUR BREATH: When The Dust Settles

Most of the time when you watch a film you have a period of world-building. It takes you by the hand and walks you around, introducing you to the characters and the locations, getting you used to the area and the feel before it dives into the story headfirst. Hold Your Breath is not one of those films. As the first scene comes on screen we quickly realize that we are being thrust instantly into the action. It was a tale already in motion and I loved it for that. The movie started and was very much “here’s what’s happening, deal with it” and then filled us in as it went along. It was quite a bold way to start a film in today’s world and it was a great choice.

Hold Your Breath was written by Kerrie Crouse and directed by Crouse and Will Joines. It takes place in 1930’s Oklahoma where everything was just dust and sand. The film stars Sarah Paulson as Margaret, a mother of two young daughters (usually children are make or break for a film that decides that it wants to have child characters and this was no different, the pair nailed it) played by Alona Jane Robbins and Amiah Miller. In Oklahoma at this time, getting caught out in a storm was bad enough, often leading to death for anyone unfortunate enough to not make it inside in time. Add to that the legend of The Grey Man (a supernatural being who can become dust himself and seep in through the cracks) and a drifter who showed up and committed murder only to vanish, and you have yourself a recipe for a very tense situation.

Enter Sand, Man

Early in the film, it’s made clear that the dust is causing all manner of illness for the people in the surrounding town, folks are getting sick and some are dying. It’s a poor area where there isn’t much food, let alone medicine and many men have left to make money for their families for them to eventually get to a place much greener where they might have a chance to survive. That’s very much what Margaret and her two daughters are dealing with. The husband and father has left town to help build a bridge and is sending funds back in hopes to soon have enough to get his family out of there.

source: Searchlight Pictures

Through a series of flashbacks, dreams, and stories told by the three members of the family we learn a few very important details; there was a third child who died that the two remaining daughters can still remember, and Margaret did not take it well at all (as one might suspect). She went into a deep depression and even had problems with sleeping and the occasional hallucination. All of this information is set up to make us question the events that follow and force us to wonder if the stories of the Grey Man are actually true and happening or if the poor mother is just slowly slipping into madness. Half the fun of this movie was trying to figure out that very question and even after it was over, I’m still not entirely sure. One thing it did was make it very hard to tell whether or not the character of Wallace (brilliantly played by Ebon Moss-Bachrach) was friend or foe. Was he there to help or was he a devil, possibly even the Grey Man himself? That question does get answered but I’m not here to spoil the surprise (or lack thereof).

On A Horse With No Name

Sarah Paulson is no stranger to the horror genre (even if she claims to not be able to watch such films) and she shines brightly in this. Her performance sometimes hurts to watch while you see her battling with whatever internal demons she’s struggling with. Ebon Moss-Bachrach once again turns in a subtle and amazing bit of work where he takes you on a journey from thinking “This poor man just wants to help” to “I think he’s the devil” and then back to “Oh no, this poor guy.” You never quite know how to feel about him and it’s a beautiful thing to behold. To me though, the real stars of this film (and I’m sure most people will agree with me) are the two young leads. Alona Jane Robbins and Amiah Miller as the two daughters hold their own against their grown-up counterparts and came to play. Their story from beginning to end was scary and heartbreaking but at the same time full of hope. We never questioned their love for each other or their mother, even when things really started to go south. They were phenomenal.

source: Searchlight Pictures

The direction from Crouse and Joines was fantastic and the cinematography was at times breathtaking. I did need to hold my breath (har har). They put together a solid story that at times felt extremely claustrophobic, especially during the many dust storms. They showed us the big wide world then closed us in and left us with nowhere to go. It kept me completely stuck to my seat until it was over. Very atmospheric and dense, the overall sense of impending dread was very well cultivated. That’s a lot of big words to say that they did great and I couldn’t take my eyes off the screen.

All We Are Is Dust In The Wind

This is the season to seek out and find horror movies, even ones that take place mostly during daylight hours in the middle of the desert. Hold Your Breath is a fantastic film and at a short runtime, what do you have to lose to give it a shot? Everyone in this gave it their all and in a genre where it is usually pretty easy to pull out and focus on one weak link, there isn’t one. It was well written and executed and I am not even a little bit sorry that I gave it my time.

If you have a subscription to Hulu you’re already halfway there, all you need to do is grab some popcorn, a couple of friends, dim the lights, and hit play. You’ll sit for roughly ninety minutes trying to figure out what is going on while you’re being scared, made to feel uncomfortable, and maybe even pushed slightly to your limits. In other words, it’s a great time at the movies. Horror isn’t tired, you have to know where to look.

Hold Your Breath is currently streaming on Hulu.