‘Don’t Move’ Review – A Tense Premise That Stumbles In Execution

The promise of a peaceful escape into the wilderness is a seductive one, where the burdens of everyday life are supposed to melt away amid rustling leaves and fresh mountain air. But in Don’t Move, nature becomes a cruel adversary, turning a scenic hike into a relentless fight for survival. Directed by Brian Netto and Adam Schindler and produced under Sam Raimi’s banner, this horror-thriller reaches for the spine-chilling tension reminiscent of Raimi’s work, but the execution doesn’t always live up to its potential.

Iris (Kelsey Asbille) is at the heart of this perilous tale, a woman crushed by the loss of her son, Mateo. The film opens with her standing at a cliff’s edge, contemplating whether there’s any reason left to hold on. Her grief is heavy, a force almost pulling her into the abyss. But before she can make a decision, Richard (Finn Wittrock) appears—a seemingly friendly stranger who, like a wolf in sheep’s clothing, soon reveals his sinister intentions. With a swift flicker of menace, Richard overpowers Iris, incapacitating her with a taser and then binding her. Injected with a paralyzing drug that takes effect in twenty minutes, Iris has a limited window to free herself before she loses all motor function.

The setup brims with tension, and Asbille delivers a compelling performance, using her eyes to convey waves of fear, despair, and unyielding determination. The idea of fighting to survive as your body gradually becomes immobile is a nerve-wracking concept and the film harnesses that dread effectively in its opening acts. Asbille’s vulnerability, paired with her sheer grit, keeps us engaged, but even her emotional depth can’t always overcome some narrative lulls that slow the film’s pulse.

Richard is an unsettling presence—a predator with a well-practiced charm that thinly veils his violent nature. He’s persuasive and polished, a villain who can shift from affable to terrifying in an instant. Yet, while Wittrock’s performance is chilling at times, the character lacks the uniqueness needed to make him truly memorable. He falls into familiar patterns of the suave, calculating killer archetype, bringing tension but little originality.

The film scores points for its claustrophobic atmosphere. Netto and Schindler’s direction shines in select sequences, using tight frames and natural soundscapes to heighten the sense of isolation and danger. When the film hits its stride, it’s genuinely gripping, with suspenseful moments that dig their claws in. However, Don’t Move struggles to maintain that intensity throughout. As it nears the halfway mark, the pacing becomes uneven, and scenes that once gripped our attention start to feel drawn out, as if the movie itself is unsure how to keep escalating the stakes.

There are moments when the story veers into familiar territory, with predictable encounters that detract from the tension. An old man with a suspicious demeanor or a nosy cop lurking nearby could have added layers to the suspense, but these interactions fail to deliver the gut-punch impact they aim for. Instead, they become predictable beats in a film that should be striving to surprise.

Visually, the film has its share of striking moments, and the bursts of violence are brutal and effective. However, the brutality often feels more like a checkbox for genre fans rather than something that deepens the film’s themes of trauma and survival. The emotional resonance of Iris’s grief is hinted at but never fully explored, leaving a sense of missed opportunity. The trauma that drives her fight for survival could have been a powerful undercurrent, but it often feels overshadowed by the film’s focus on physical danger over psychological depth.

In the end, Don’t Move delivers a few thrilling jolts and a solid performance from Asbille, but it lacks the staying power to be truly unforgettable. It’s a film that starts with a clever, anxiety-inducing premise but ultimately struggles to keep its momentum, leaving you with the feeling that it never quite unlocked the full potential of its harrowing concept.

Don’t Move is currently available to stream on Netflix.