First, we had Don't Breathe (2016) and A Quiet Place (2018), where silence is key, then Bird Box (2018), where seeing is danger. Hollywood's current fascination with sensory deprivation has a new addition: Don't Move, a thriller in which the protagonist faces a new kind of terror -- forced paralysis. In this film, the main character is injected with a paralytic agent by a killer, leaving her fighting to survive while her mobility fades.
The Netflix thriller stars Kelsey Asbille as Iris, a grieving mother seeking solace in an isolated forest. She climbs to a remote mountaintop, determined to make a life-changing decision. There, she encounters Richard (Finn Wittrock), a man who pursues her with a promise of help, only to reveal more sinister intentions. Richard, who turns out to be a seasoned killer, injects Iris with a paralytic agent. With the drug spreading through her body, Iris must outwit, hide from and fend off her assailant before her nervous system is completely immobilised.
Don't Move doesn't break new ground conceptually, but it delivers impressive performances, strong visuals and decent special effects. The film's atmosphere, boosted by eerie cinematography and realistic effects, amplifies the tension, creating a chilling ambience. The actors contribute well to this mood, and although the character development is limited, their performances help pull the audience into the suspenseful experience as much as the material allows.
As for the story itself, Don't Move is an effective yet fairly predictable thriller. Once the initial suspense kicks in, the film settles into a standard cat-and-mouse format, with few surprises along the way. There are several moments of genuine tension, and a few twists and action sequences that work well. However, the film leaves more than a few plot holes, which detract from its overall impact.
Kelsey Asbille as Iris in Don't Move. (Photo: Netfix Thailand)
One of the main drawbacks is the lack of depth and background for each character. Iris remains a somewhat distant figure, even before she's attacked. While we're given enough context to understand her grief and emotional state, her quietness and restraint make it difficult to fully connect with her on a personal level. Outside of a natural sympathy for her situation, Iris remains an anonymous potential victim rather than a fully fleshed-out character.
On the other hand, Wittrock's portrayal of Richard, the killer, adds a bit of intrigue. He has more dialogue and screen time, but remains largely enigmatic; his motives and deeper intentions are mostly unexplored. Still, I enjoyed his performance. He's matter-of-fact and unsettlingly pragmatic, negating any hint of emotion in favour of methodical, chilling actions. Wittrock skilfully switches between expressions, shifting his mood convincingly and adding a menacing edge to his character.
The film attempts to show the effects of the paralytic drug through Iris's actions, allowing us to witness the progression of her paralysis. While this is a useful visual cue, it's done with little subtlety, as if the filmmakers feared the audience might miss the significance. This lack of nuance detracts from the tension, and the exaggerated effects of the drug's progression feel heavy-handed.
Clocking in at a concise 92 minutes, Don't Move is lean, though perhaps to a fault. The brisk pacing means there's little room for character development or deeper exploration of the story's themes. As a pure pursuit film, this sparseness might be forgivable, yet there are character aspects introduced -- tantalisingly so -- that are left mostly unaddressed, raising questions that linger without satisfying answers. Many narrative threads remain unresolved, which can leave viewers with a sense of incomplete storytelling.
Overall, Don't Move is a mildly entertaining thriller with a familiar premise, defined by tense moments and a high-stakes chase. The story lacks complexity and skimps on character depth, leaving much of its potential untapped. Though the plot is largely predictable, the film manages to maintain a degree of excitement through its constrained timeline and effective visual choices. This is the kind of movie that's enjoyable as a one-time watch, but it's unlikely to stick with you long after the credits roll.
- Don’t Move
- Starring Kelsey Asbille, Finn Wittrock, Moray Treadwell
- Directed by Adam Schindler and Brian Netto
- Now streaming on Netflix
