I really wanted to like this movie. After interviewing the director, John Suits, I wanted to like it even more. On paper it has a lot of what I would want in a film such as outer space, an apocalypse, cosmic terror, a cast with a decent record, and much more. The premise of this movie is that there is some sort of deadly virus that plagues earth and the only way to save the human race is to transport people to New Earth using gigantic interstellar arks. The movie opens with Noah (Cody Kearsley) and Hayley (Kassandra Clementi) fighting through a large rioting crowd to board the ark. Haley is the daughter of the Admiral (Thomas Jane) so she has a cryopod along with all the other passengers. 

However, Noah could only get a spot on the ark by becoming a mechanic and is paired with Clay Young (Bruce Willis). The movie mainly follows Noah as he cleans and repairs various parts of the ship while interacting with Clay. While this is going on, behind the scenes is a dark power that is slowly killing off and turning other crew members into zombie-like monsters and Noah and Clay slowly start to uncover the sinister nature of what is taking over the ship. Despite the many things this film would have going for it, it does not really deliver on anything and is ultimately extremely flat and boring. 

Without unduly criticizing the film, I do want to mention some of the main flaws. I think one of the primary issues with this film was how boring and uninspiring the dialogue was. I was extremely shocked by how tiring it was and how it seemed like most everyone was phoning in their performances. I do not know what was going on behind the scenes but I was so disappointed with the performances of everyone. Another issue that the film suffered from was the use of basic, cookie-cutter characters. Clay Young was the tired old war vet, Noah was the masculine under-dog hero, Commander Stanley (Timothy Murphey) was the brash and narrow minded leader, and on and on and on and on. 

There weren’t any characters that had any depth or brought anything to the table that was original or compelling. Lastly, I don’t know what the budget for this movie was but both the practical effects and the special effects looked so fake. Further, I did like that the set was practical, but it just looked so cheap and made the spaceship seem very small and claustrophobic even though it was a large ship carrying over 100,000 passengers. Overall I was just so disappointed with this film and I really wanted it to be more than what it was. 

Despite the major flaws of the movie there were some positives that I would like to point out. My main praise would be for how it handles the topics of PTSD and alcoholism (more details below in the Mental Health Moment). Other films have certainly done a good job on this and this film does a good job adding to the conversation. I also enjoyed the story even though it was not super original and it was poorly executed.

RORSCHACH RATING:

Mental Health Moment: One of the brightest and most hopeful aspects of this movie was the messaging around PTSD and substance abuse. Clay Young is now a mechanic on this interstellar ark that is carrying people hundreds of thousands of lightyears away from earth. However, it is alluded that before he was a mechanic, Clay was a decorated war veteran and that he has some experiences in his past that still affect him in the present. One of the ways he copes is through his use of alcohol. He is rarely seen without a flask or a cup of some sort of liquor. I thoroughly enjoyed this element of the movie, I thought they handled the subject of PTSD and alcoholism in a very realistic way. I think one way films often mess this up is that when PTSD is portrayed the person is typically viewed as a weak, broken, and extremely flawed person. 

PoClay is not that, he definitely has his struggles but he is still capable of accomplishing things and you can actually see a very soft and caring person who is hidden behind this shroud of past pain. Further, alcoholism in movies is typically depicted as making the person who is struggling with it as someone who is a bad person, almost villainous. Where Breach does not glorify alcoholism, it does not demonize it either. In fact, Clay actually improves within his struggles as he builds a relationship with Noah, his assistant. Building community with friends and loved ones is such an important aspect of maintaining our physical and mental health. If you are struggling with PTSD or addiction I would first and foremost encourage you to seek professional help. But after that I would strongly encourage you to make sure you are staying in contact with others in your social circles because despite the strength we all have on our own there is still always more strength in numbers. 

In conclusion, some movies aren’t going to be good and that’s okay. I don’t think that this movie is a total waste though. I did like the messaging about mental health and I do truly hope that all those involved can learn from this experience and make movies or other media that people can enjoy.

If you or someone you know is reading this right now and you are struggling with suicide, depression, addiction, or self-harm - please reach out. Comment, message or tweet to us. Go to victimsandvillains.net/hope for more resources. Call the suicide lifeline at 1-800-273-8255. Text "HELP" to 741-741. There is hope & you DO have so much value and worth!

Victims and Villains is written Josh "Captain Nostalgia" Burkey (and produced by) and more. Music by Mallory Johnson and others. Breach is property of Saban Films. We do not own nor claim any rights. Breach is available on VOD & Digital Platforms beginning December 18th, 2020.

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