Breaking In
Universal Pictures | Release Date: May 11, 2018 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
42
METASCORE
Mixed or average reviews based on 24 Critic Reviews
Positive:
3
Mixed:
15
Negative:
6
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
72
IGNWilliam BibbianiMay 10, 2018
Breaking In is a clever twist not the home invasion genre, with a dynamic lead performance by Gabrielle Union as a mother protecting her family. It’s a crowd-pleasing thriller, good but never quite great, because the story collapses under scrutiny. The film is trying to be clever and yet it relies on big, and obvious gaps in logic, but those flaws probably won't ruin the experience. Read full review
70
Vanity FairK. Austin CollinsMay 11, 2018
Union, a conquering badass, owns it. The movie walks an intriguing line between strained believability and outright superherodom—a line every action movie walks, of course. But then, most action movies don’t star black women. Read full review
63
RogerEbert.comGlenn KennyMay 11, 2018
So, yes, the movie’s predictable, and writer Ryan Engle makes a lot of unforced dialogue errors. Read full review
60
The New York TimesKen JaworowskiMay 10, 2018
With an overbearing score, Breaking In telegraphs almost everything that happens yet still provides several jolts amid its occasionally questionable twists. While the filmmakers aren’t exerting themselves to deliver anything other than a popcorn-seller, Ms. Union is working hard to keep you watching. Read full review
60
The GuardianMike McCahillMay 10, 2018
These 88 minutes never drag their heels long enough for us to get hung up on their myriad implausibilities. One of those low-expectation releases that’ll see you right if Infinity War remains sold out. Read full review
60
TheWrapInkoo KangMay 10, 2018
The screenplay by Ryan Engle (“Rampage,” “The Commuter”) squanders its potential for emotional depth, making Breaking In a serviceable, but indistinct product. Read full review
50
Austin ChronicleSteve DavisMay 16, 2018
With more than a passing nod to the far classier "Panic Room," this derivative seat-squirmer has a few good moments in spite of Johnny Klimick’s annoying score, its energy powered by the raw determination of its Mother Courage. Read full review
50
Arizona RepublicBarbara VanDenburghMay 12, 2018
Breaking In is a shallow nod to female empowerment, not the embodiment of it. Read full review
50
ScreenCrushMatt SingerMay 12, 2018
The most disappointing part of Reverse Panic Room is how little it exploits its high-concept premise after spending so much time establishing all the particulars of this fortified lake house. Read full review
50
The A.V. ClubIgnatiy VishnevetskyMay 10, 2018
The film’s sense of time lacks precision and urgency, and just having characters periodically point out that the clock is ticking doesn’t cut it. Read full review
50
Entertainment WeeklyDevan CogganMay 10, 2018
It’s a fun, pulpy premise, but sadly, the film takes a route that’s too silly to be taken seriously and too tame to be any fun. Read full review
50
The Associated PressLindsey BahrMay 10, 2018
It’s not a bad idea and Union proves more than capable of nailing her Liam Neeson/Bruce Willis moment of save-your-family action stardom, but the movie has trouble sustaining interest even over its brisk 88 minutes. Read full review
50
The Seattle TimesKatie WalshMay 10, 2018
The disappointment of Breaking In is the wasted potential — there are a few plot setups that could have been further fleshed out or brought back around (why was her father being investigated by the DA?) and Union isn’t given enough opportunity to truly display her charms. This thriller could have really used some room to breathe. Read full review
50
San Francisco ChronicleMick LaSalleMay 10, 2018
If there’s a weakness to the movie, it’s that, despite its gut-level appeal, it doesn’t dazzle us with anything brilliant or unexpected. However, there are some nifty turns here and there, so it’s not entirely mediocre. Read full review
42
IndieWireKate ErblandMay 10, 2018
The full force of Union’s performance pushes the film to occasional crowd-pleasing results — give this woman a real action role, and fast — and Shaun’s ability to fight back is the one reliable element of an uneven film. Read full review
40
EmpireHelen O'HaraMay 14, 2018
Union is committed and convincing, but the script apparently never met a cliche it didn't want to adopt wholesale. This offers some thrills and considerable pace, but never enough narrative force. Read full review
40
Screen DailyFionnuala HalliganMay 10, 2018
Union is capable of powering the film through, valiantly trying to plug the holes the high-concept plot can’t reach. She’s got that big screen charisma, even though, this time, she’s working with small-screen material. Read full review
40
The Hollywood ReporterKeith UhlichMay 10, 2018
Union certainly dedicates herself to all the huffing, running, jumping and emoting, though her efforts never counter Breaking In’s aura of trashiness and disposability. Read full review
38
The Globe and Mail (Toronto)Sarah-Tai BlackMay 10, 2018
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. Read full review
30
VarietyAndrew BarkerMay 10, 2018
Coasting for as long as it can on the considerable charms of its star, Breaking In is otherwise a work of profound half-assedness, running through the paces of its bare-bones framework with all the verve, energy and invention of a night-watchman winding down the last hour of his shift. Read full review
25
UproxxVince ManciniMay 10, 2018
Even on a technical level Breaking In is shockingly inept. Read full review
25
Slant MagazineKeith WatsonMay 10, 2018
James McTeigue's Breaking In is the sort of incompetently constructed thriller that gives B movies a bad name. Read full review
25
Rolling StonePeter TraversMay 10, 2018
The listless, leaden acting, writing and direction in this breathtakingly stupid bomb-ola defies audiences to stay conscious through its drag-ass 88 minutes. Read full review
25
Movie NationRoger MooreMay 9, 2018
If there’s one thing that Hollywood thrillers and the legions of actors who march through them teach us, it’s that faking shock and breath-gulping panic isn’t easy. And hiding boredom, for some actors, is damned near impossible. Read full review
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