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[Fantasia Review] ‘Just a Breath Away’ Is Well Shot, Tightly Wound, and Expertly Paced

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Director Daniel Roby’s Just a Breath Away (Dans la Brume) is an ambitious French/Canadian co-production for its meager budget. The apocalyptic thriller has an intriguing setup; an earthquake in Paris unleashes a toxic gas from below ground, killing everyone almost instantly. Except for those that made it to high enough ground, that is. For parents Mathieu (Romain Duris) and Anna (Olga Kurylenko), the deadly gas brings an even more dire complication, as their daughter is stuck below in the gas, sealed in her hermetic chamber due to a genetic disease.

With the earthquake and the release of the gas, power has been knocked out across the city. It leaves Mathieu and Anna’s daughter, Sarah, even more vulnerable as her hermetic chamber is now forced to rely on a battery, one that drains and needs changing out every so many hours. It raises the stakes as it introduces time sensitivity to the fold. Sarah is stuck one floor below in their apartment, while her parents fled to their neighbors on the top floor. With the realization that the gas is slowly rising, Mathieu and Anna must come up with ways to descend below into the gas to not just change out the chamber’s batteries, but find answers and a long-term solution to their survival.

Roby makes excellent use of the budget. This apocalyptic thriller feels far bigger in scope than it really is. The wide sweeping shots of Paris’ familiar topography mostly drowned in the yellowish gas effectively serves as a visual reminder that this catastrophe is epic in scale. Yet, most of the story is within the confines of the family’s apartment building or the surrounding few blocks. As Mathieu finds ways to venture out into the gas-soaked city, he meets perilous obstacle after perilous obstacle with time constantly winding down. Vicious dogs, brutal falls, explosions, and dead bodies that litter the streets are thrown Mathieu’s way as he looks for ways to safely evacuate his family from the city.

From a thriller perspective, Just a Breath Away is a success. Well shot, tightly wound, and expertly paced to keep you engrossed in the journey. Duris is intense and pulls off the action well. Kurylenko isn’t given nearly as much to do, but rises to the occasion when the third act calls for her to handle some pivotal heavy lifting.

That’s also the biggest crux of the film; none of the characters are very well developed. It ultimately works because of the talent of its leads, but we know nothing about Mathieu except for his devotion as a father. We never get to know any of them beyond their superficial constraints. Without any nuance or layers, it makes predicting how this story will end obvious from the opening set up. Granted, thrillers don’t have to have complex characters to work, but Just a Breath Away wants to hit you in the feels hard. There are some emotional beats, but they don’t always register like they should.

Just a Breath Away is worth the watch, but it also follows the familiarity of textbook apocalyptic thrillers. There’s enough ambition and uniqueness in the concept to be on board this journey, though chances are you’ll see the ending a mile away. Roby has succeeded in crafting a well-executed story that feels grander than its budget, and the talented cast give their all even when limited by the script. It just doesn’t offer much that we haven’t already seen before.

Horror journalist, RT Top Critic, and Critics Choice Association member. Co-Host of the Bloody Disgusting Podcast. Has appeared on PBS series' Monstrum, served on the SXSW Midnighter shorts jury, and moderated horror panels for WonderCon and SeriesFest.

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SCREAMBOX Investigates UFOs and Extraterrestrials: Several Documentaries Streaming Right Now!

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As someone who is obsessed with UFOS (or more recently known as UAPs) and the concept of extraterrestrials, I love a good documentary. Sightings have been on the rise since the 1940s, with the atomic bomb seemingly acting as a catalyst for new visitors. But what are these UFOs/UAPs? Is there an explanation or are they simply beyond our explanation? Why are they here? Who are they? How much do our governments know? The questions are endless and so are the documentaries that attempt to uncover the secrets behind decades of sightings and alleged confrontations.

Whether you’re a seasoned viewer or new to the rabbit hole, there’s always a handful of interesting documentaries to get your neurons firing and leave you with sleepless nights. SCREAMBOX is investigating with the addition of several docs, all streaming now on the Bloody Disgusting-powered service. Here’s the breakdown:

Aliens (2021): Beam into this unidentified streaming documentary for a glimpse into Extraterrestrial life. Aliens are hypothetical life forms that may occur outside Earth or that did not originate on Earth.

Aliens Uncovered: Origins (2021): Before Area 51, hidden deep in the desert, the military discovered a hidden gem that helped them create Project Bluebook.

Aliens Uncovered: ET or Man-Made (2022): The crash of Roswell wasn’t meant for New Mexico. In 1947, a neighboring state had 3 major sightings that were swept under the rug.

Aliens Uncovered: The Golden Record (2023): In the late 70s, the US government launched a message to our distant neighbors.

Roswell (2021): This high-flying documentary examines the July 1947 crash of a United States Army Air Forces balloon at a ranch near Roswell, New Mexico. Theories claim the crash was actually that of a flying saucer, but what is the truth?

Also check out:

The British UFO Files (2004): Since the 1940’s the British Government has been investigating the Flying Saucer phenomenon. High-ranking military and government personnel, speak out for the first time, offering unique eyewitness accounts and inside information.

Alien Abductions and Paranormal Sightings (2016): Amazing Footage and stories from real people as they reveal their personal encounters of being abducted by Aliens.

And do not miss Hellier (2019): A crew of paranormal researchers find themselves in a dying coal town, where a series of strange coincidences lead them to a decades-old mystery.

These documentaries join SCREAMBOX’s growing library of unique horror content, including Onyx the Fortuitous and the Talisman of Souls, Here for Blood, Terrifier 2, RoboDoc: The Creation of RoboCop, Hollywood Dreams & Nightmares: The Robert Englund Story, The Outwaters, Living with Chucky, Project Wolf Hunting, and Pennywise: The Story of IT.

Start screaming now with SCREAMBOX on iOS, Android, Apple TV, Prime Video, Roku, YouTube TV, Samsung, Comcast, Cox, and Screambox.com.

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