Breaking In

Critics Consensus

Breaking In is proof that Gabrielle Union deserves more leading roles -- particularly in films that offer more than this rote, disposable action thriller.

26%

TOMATOMETER

Total Count: 102

32%

Audience Score

User Ratings: 984
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Movie Info

Next Mother's Day, Gabrielle Union stars as a woman who will stop at nothing to rescue her two children being held hostage in a house designed with impenetrable security. No trap, no trick and especially no man inside can match a mother with a mission when she is determined on Breaking In.
  • Rating:
    PG-13 (for violence, menace, bloody images, sexual references, and brief strong language)
  • Genre:
    Mystery & Suspense
  • Directed By:
    James McTeigue
  • Written By:
    Ryan Engle
  • In Theaters:
     wide
  • On Disc/Streaming:
  • Runtime:
  • Studio:
    Universal Pictures

Cast

Gabrielle Union
as Shaun Russell
Billy Burke
as Eddie
Richard Cabral
as Duncan
Ajiona Alexus
as Jasmine Russell
Levi Meaden
as Sam
Jason George
as Justin Russell
Seth Carr
as Glover Russell
Christa Miller
as Maggie Harris
Damien Leake
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Critic Reviews for Breaking In

All Critics (102) | Top Critics (20) | Fresh (27) | Rotten (75)

  • Too many unanswered questions and not enough character development.

    May 13, 2018 | Rating: 2/5 | Full Review…

    Malika Kingston

    Little White Lies
    Top Critic

  • Just in time for Mother's Day comes a thrill-free, home-invasion thriller about a mom (Gabrielle Union) who'll stop at nothing to keep four bad guys from killing her two kids. Buy a ticket to this dull, dim-witted con job and you'll want to break out.

    May 12, 2018 | Rating: 1/4 | Full Review…

    Peter Travers

    Rolling Stone
    Top Critic

  • James McTeigue has a fleet, efficient visual style that keeps the suspense set pieces percolating.

    May 11, 2018 | Rating: 2.5/4 | Full Review…

    Glenn Kenny

    RogerEbert.com
    Top Critic

  • There is a familiarity to its characters and story, which doesn't do much at all in terms of reinventing the genre, but very much meets its own expectations.

    May 11, 2018 | Rating: 1.5/4 | Full Review…

    Sarah-Tai Black

    Globe and Mail
    Top Critic

  • "Breaking In" is broken.

    May 11, 2018 | Rating: D | Full Review…

    Adam Graham

    Detroit News
    Top Critic

  • Without suspense, all the audience has to go on are the plot mechanics, which are no great shakes, and the characters, which are paper-thin.

    May 10, 2018 | Rating: C | Full Review…

    Ignatiy Vishnevetsky

    AV Club
    Top Critic
View All Critic Reviews (102)

Audience Reviews for Breaking In

  • Sep 11, 2018
    There is nothing remotely original, clever, entertaining, tense or exciting in this lousy break-in thriller that reuses the dullest clichés you could think of and is filled with dumb characters who make the most stupid decisions all the time, even when trying to appear smart.
    Carlos M Super Reviewer
  • Jul 15, 2018
    This required and deserved an R-rating. Richard Cabral is the only actor here that seems to know what type of movie he's in. Well, him and Levi Meaden dye job. Cobral plays every scene with the perfect balance of cheap, cheese, and cliché. Too bad everyone else thought they were making high drama as this would have greatly improved by knowing it needed to be nothing more than entertaining schlock.
    Philip P Super Reviewer
  • May 12, 2018
    Just in time for Mother's Day weekend comes two eminently bland, safe, and unmemorable movies that generally waste their female stars. On the other side, Breaking In is a mundane, low-budget home invasion thriller that disappears almost instantly from memory. I'm struggling to even come up with enough to say in this review that isn't just repetitions of the word "boring." Gabrielle Union (Bring it On) plays a mom who brings her two children to visit the estate of her recently deceased, estranged father. Also visiting is a trio of stupid robbers searching for a hidden stash of money. They take the kids hostage though keep them locked in a room and in little danger. Union's determined mother must break in and save her children. It's a thriller without anything genuinely thrilling to experience, as each chase or near miss hums along ineptly and tediously, finding the least interesting conclusion. There are no well-drawn suspense set pieces to quicken the pulse, no clever escapes or near-misses, no intriguing villains with strong personalities, and no entertainment to be had through its strained 88 minutes. There are glaring plot holes, chief among them why doesn't she just flag down a car and call the police rather than hack it alone. Depressingly, Breaking In is actually directed by James McTeigue (V for Vendetta) who seems to have exhausted any sense of style and excitement he may have had earlier in his directing career. It feels like nobody really cared about the movie they were making, and that lack of enthusiasm and effort translates into one very boring and very poorly written and executed thriller. Union deserved a better showcase but, then again, the audience deserved a better movie too. Nate's Grade: D+
    Nate Z Super Reviewer
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