Release Date: October 3, 2024 (United States)
Genres: Drama, Horror, Thriller
Country of Origin: United States
Language: English
Filming Locations: Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA
Directors: Karrie Crouse, William Joines
Writer: Karrie Crouse
Production Companies: MAD DOG FILMS, Searchlight Pictures, Secret Engine
Storyline
A terrifying fusion of thriller, horror, and drama, Hold Your Breath is set in the midst of the Oklahoma Dust Bowl of the 1930s. The narrative centers on Evelyn Thompson (Sarah Paulson), a strong woman battling the twin threats of environmental destruction and an encroaching sense of dread, as the land is beset by unrelenting dust storms.
Evelyn, her husband Daniel (Ebon Moss-Bachrach), and their young daughter Clara (Amiah Miller) are shown in the opening scene of the movie laboring to keep their farm running amid choking clouds of dust that have transformed their once-thriving land into a desolate wasteland. Although many families have experienced despair due to the storms, which seem to never end, Evelyn is afraid of more than just the inclement weather.
Evelyn begins to notice odd things happening to her: shadowy forms appearing in the dust, eerie whispers carried by the wind, and mysterious events posing a threat to her family’s safety. Her growing anxiety is compounded by her husband’s mistrust, which stems from his obsession with weathering the daily grind of surviving dust storms and maintaining the viability of the farm.
As the family’s situation worsens, Evelyn becomes more and more convinced that a sinister force is manipulating the storms to torment them. She asks the locals for assistance, such as Sheriff Bell (Arron Shiver) and Doctor Cox (James Healy Jr.), but her loneliness is only exacerbated by their condescending demeanors. With her grip on reality slipping, Evelyn’s efforts to protect her family become increasingly desperate.
Tension is increased by the appearance of Birdie Mae Bell (Courtney Cunningham), an enigmatic woman with an unsettling link to the paranormal. Although Birdie Mae seems to recognize the evil force at work, her motives are unclear, and her presence only makes the family’s worries worse.
Evelyn’s struggle comes to a terrifying head when she faces the dark force she believes is to blame for their suffering as the storms get stronger and the distinction between reality and insanity becomes more hazy. The novel Hold Your Breath delves into themes of fear, loneliness, and the extent a mother will go to safeguard those she loves.
The film captures the eerie atmosphere of the Dust Bowl era and delivers a psychological horror that will leave viewers on edge by fusing haunting visuals with a suspenseful narrative.
Plot Summary
The story of “Hold Your Breath,” which takes place in Oklahoma in the 1930s, centers on a woman who is attempting to cope with the destruction brought on by the region’s notorious dust storms. The frequent storms cause her to begin to suspect that her family is being targeted by a malevolent force. She must face the evil force that appears to be hiding just behind the storm’s curtain as the dust clouds obstruct her vision and cause her to lose her mind. As she does so, a terrifying story of survival and terror is revealed.
Cast
Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Thomas
Sarah Paulson as Birdie Mae Bell
Amiah Miller as Ada
Annaleigh Ashford as Marian Jones
Bill Heck as Sheriff Bell
Frances Lee McCain as Bertha Bell
James Healy Jr. as Doctor Cox
Courtney Cunningham asBirdie Mae Bell
Arron Shiver as Sheriff Bell
Emily Katherine Ford as Ada
Alona Jane Robbins as Ollie(as Alona Robbins)
Marian Jones as Background
Nathan Gariety as Thomas
Olivia Darling Busby as Crying Girl (as Olivia Busby)
