Don't Breathe 2 is a mean and lean action-thriller that leans heavily into the gore and violence of the grindhouse flicks that clearly inspired it. While it may not be for everyone, it's a well-constructed take on the genre and a brutal, and, at times, even darkly funny revenge film.
Don't Breathe 2 revisits Norman Nordstrom, aka the Blind Man (Stephen Lang), a former Navy Seal who leads a solitary life after the death of his daughter. Eight years after he was the genuinely twisted and tragic villain of Don't Breathe, he's revealed to have made a new life for himself -- raising a young girl named Phoenix (Madelyn Grace) as his own daughter. Despite the efforts of his local gardening supplier Hernandez (Stephanie Arcila), he refuses to let Phoenix explore the world outside out of fear of what could happen to her. But, the dangers of the outside world find the pair anyways in the form of the menacing Raylan (Brendan Sexton III) and his gang of fellow dishonorably discharged soldiers turned drug dealers.
To delve any further would reveal some of the gonzo twists and turns of Don't Breathe 2, an almost relentlessly grim and gory story of a brutal man forced to embrace the monster he's spent the last years trying to hide from himself, his daughter, and the world at large. Lang is solid in the lead role, leaning into a strong but frail physicality for the Blind Man's action sequences. Notably, the film never feels like a true attempt to redeem the character or to make up for his truly despicable actions in the previous film. The audience is never fully rooting for him so much as hoping that, as a force of nature, his wrath is at least pointed in the right direction. It's a decidedly dark direction to take, but one that feels more authentic than trying to find a way to earn the audience's sympathies for a seriously messed-up character.
The real humanity of the film is anchored in Phoenix's arc, with Grace giving a good performance -- especially during an impressive long-take that sees her trying to stealthily make her way through her house despite being surrounded by men hunting for her. The rest of the cast leans into the exploitation film aesthetic, with Sexton, in particular, finding a genuinely interesting take as a twisted but surprisingly engrossing villain with some very unexpected motivations. The first half of the film is very in-debt to the original film and its stylings, but the latter half -- especially after a wild series of plot twists -- fully embraces an over-the-top but stylish grindhouse aesthetic that works for what it's trying to achieve.
A late-game plot twist almost pushes the film into a place too ridiculous; but, at its core, it fits with the rest of the film's over-the-top style. By this point in the film, Director Rodo Sayagues and Cinematographer Pedro Luque have fully embraced a purposefully muddled color scheme to good effect. The final sequences of the film work largely due to how fully it's embracing its identity as a splatter flick. Produced by Sayagues and co-writer Fede Álvarez, along with, among others, Sam Raimi, the film feels authentic to the style of filmmaking it's evoking.
The action and violence in the film are impressively staged, and, for the most part, horrifying. If you're not a fan of gore, this movie is not for you. In many ways, it feels like a pared-down and brutal take on Taken, or what Rambo: Last Blood wanted to be. The flashes of humanity and humor that do pop up in the film help keep it from being overly indulgent in its brutality. Its stylish direction and staging also help elevate what could have been a one-note film. Fans of the genre will likely find something to appreciate about Don't Breathe 2's brutal edge.