Hold Your Breath, the psychological horror film has received mixed reactions from the fans, especially on Letterboxd, where viewers haven't taken long to share their thoughts.
The film is written and directed by Karrie Crouse and Will Joines and focuses on a mother in 1930s Oklahoma, played by Sarah Paulson, who has to deal with eerie dust storms and haunting memories.
And with Paulson, for one, doing an excellent job, the film is a bundle of supernatural chills and psychological tension. As some see it, though, Hold Your Breath still is flawed, even with Paulson's performance.
Fans on Letterboxd were split down the middle for the movie, ranging from celebrating her strong performance to bemoaning the pace of the film.
Let's look at the reactions:
ram <3: "Not even Sarah Paulson could save this."
This reaction has been that despite Paulson's strong performance, Hold Your Breath overall has the watcher disappointed.
IrisWe: "Sarah P is giving but I was honestly a bit bored otherwise."
While basking in the praise for Sarah Paulson, this fan reminds us that once all is said and done, the rest of the movie was not very engaging and left them underwhelmed.
Ciaran: "Sarah Paulson going crazy is always a good time. And a little bit of Ebon Moss."
Ciaran enjoyed Paulson's strong acting and his admiration for Ebon Moss-Bachrach, making this an easy, entertaining watch.
Meb2x: "Sarah Paulson is great at playing mentally unstable women, but she’s not enough to save this movie from its barebones characters."
Meb2x was left bamboozled by poorly formed characters and was able to see through the promise in Paulson that this was a maddeningly disappointing plot.
Anamitra: "A Sarah Paulson show with crazyass sound design."
Anamitra called out the striking sounds of Hold Your Breath, recalling pre-COVID thrills, and nostalgia.
c a m s: "Sarah Paulson will always be the supreme in terror."
In this viewer's opinion, Paulson is the elite of horror. This adds creditability to the fact that she is an icon of the genre.
AdRockParty: "Quiet Place + Babadook + a Western + Shyamalan."
They saw some roots to Hold Your Breath, but unfortunately also encountered a slow plot and sloppy spots in it. The performances, though, especially by the older daughter, were well above the rest, they say.
Sarah Paulson's performance: A saving grace in Hold Your Breath?
Fans across Letterboxd remark that Hold Your Breath has the spine with Sarah Paulson. Her Margaret Bellum is full of lunacy, trying hard to shield her daughters; it's a thrilling role. She is the artist who masterfully depicts horror; yet again, she lifts this dust-bowl thriller's tension with another haunting performance.
The genius lies in her ability to evoke a whole gamut of emotions, from fear, frustration, and desperation, that cements her as a powerhouse in the genre.
Also read: Sarah Paulson's guest role on the Emmy-winning show, The Bear
However, despite the excellent work on display, one cannot help but think that character development in the movie doesn't live up to Paulson's depth, and she is perhaps underutilized in the movie.
There is little help coming from characters that are not properly fleshed-out, and supporting characters like Wallace Grady, played by Ebon Moss-Bachrach, are a bit unexplored and reduce the power of any message the story could deliver.
Hold Your Breath's sound design is its hidden star
One thing that has been highly appreciated about Hold Your Breath is the sound design. Some notes from the viewers have stated how the sounds help heighten the tension within the movie.
Continuous storms of the wind, eerie whispers, and confusing noises made the audience of Hold Your Breath feel the situation of 1930s Oklahoma where the dust was carrying more than just particles in it.
It brought with itself a ghostly presence haunting the Bellum family. Colin Stetson's score merges with the sound effects, adding to the psychological and supernatural feel. The sound design has then been compared to earlier Netflix thrillers.
Also read: Netflix thriller Behind Her Eyes has one of the best twist endings
This will have a deep connection and speak to the nostalgic audience. But even with this technical accomplishment, some viewers found that at times the film dragged a little on pace, which limited its locking in the audience's imagination.
Where to watch Hold Your Breath?
Hold Your Breath is currently available to stream on Hulu. The series was added as a Hulu original, and its premiere on the service was on October 3, 2024, although it had its world premiere earlier at the Toronto International Festival.
It also is accessible through the Hulu app on any connected device like Roku, Apple TV, and Amazon Fire TV.
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