(spoiler free)
Abi Damaris Corbin’s Breaking is a taut, and well-crafted thriller with impeccable performances at its core. Based on the true story detailed in a 2018 article by Aaron Gell, the movie stars John Boyega as Brian Brown-Easley, who takes a bank hostage to receive his payments from the Veterans Administration (VA). Easley explains to bank tellers Estel Valerie (Nicole Beharie) and Rosa Diaz (Selenis Levya) that he has a bomb and is unafraid to blow up the bank if his demands aren’t met.
Easley is owed $892 from the VA, and wants the world to see what they have taken from him. Meanwhile, the police send over a chief negotiator (Michael K. Williams) to discuss what Easley wants, while a journalist (Connie Britton) investigates on the VA’s wrongdoings and tries to get the protagonist’s side of the story.
Comparisons have already been made a thousand times to Sidney Lumet’s Dog Day Afternoon, so I won’t do them here. One is the superior film, but Breaking is still a highly effective thriller that demands to be seen solely due to its lead performances. Boyega is nearly unrecognizable as Easley, who knows he’s doing an act that will potentially get him arrested, or worse, killed, but wants what’s best for his ex-wife (Olivia Washington) and daughter (London Covington). He’s not a criminal, and constantly apologizes to the hostages whenever he does something that scares them. Because of this, we ultimately root for the protagonist – who got screwed over by the VA – to get what he wants, even if his actions aren’t at all reprehensible.
The on-screen chemistry he shares via phone conversations with Williams’ character is riveting. Watching Breaking made me realize how much I miss the late actor, who sadly died last year. Williams brought a rare presence to the screen that few actors of his caliber gave (James Badge Dale is another highly underrated example), even in minor roles. I’ll admit I teared up when I saw him on screen for the first time because I knew that this would be the last time he would give his heart and soul to his role. And he gives one last magnifying performance in his perfect resume. Even in bad movies, Williams would always shine. That was the sign of a one-of-a-kind actor, who has passed on much sooner than he was supposed to.
Beharie and Levya are as terrific as Estel and Rosa, giving an incredible emotional depth to their respective characters. Beharie is a major standout and steals the spotlight away from Boyega during multiple scenes. Breaking isn’t solely a thriller from the criminal’s point of view, even if Corbin cuts back to brief flashbacks to make the audience understand where he comes from, but gets the perspective of everyone involved. As such, it feels more complete and emotionally investing.
The only thread in which the movie doesn’t work is when it focuses on Britton as Lisa Larson. Britton gives a good performance, sure, but the journalistic aspect of the movie doesn’t necessarily flow with the rest of the story. When it centers on Brian and Eli Bernard (Williams), the film is riveting. When it cuts back to Lisa, the pace is languishing, and doesn’t much add up to the rest of the story. But it was an important part of Easley’s message; he wanted the media, and the world, to see what the VA did to him. And his story is a necessary one to show on screen.
And while Breaking isn’t perfect, its tense atmosphere and brilliant performances from John Boyega, Michael K. Williams, Nicole Beharie and Selenis Levya make it a must-see. I don’t know if it’s too early to talk about Oscar contenders. However, Boyega should be in the discussions for a Best Actor Oscar, alongside Beharie in Supporting Actress. They both give two career-best performances, and deserve major recognition for the amount of work they put on screen. It’s not an easy watch, but Breaking is one of the year’s very best movies. Don’t miss it.
Written by Maxance Vincent
★★★★
Thanks for reading this review, if you enjoyed it and would like to support us you can buy us a coffee HERE and make sure to follow us @HCMovieReviews over on Twitter.
HCMovieReviews 
Leave a comment