"STEAL HER BREATH" (2024) Shows The Erotic Thriller Is Back In Style! (REVIEW)

Years back, you couldn’t hit a multiplex without at least a third of the screens showing steamy erotic thrillers. These films launched the careers of some of Hollywood’s hottest stars: Sharon Stone, Kathleen Turner, Mickey Rourke, and Richard Gere. There was so much sweat onscreen we damn near had to towel off as the credits rolled. Now that we’ve made this weird, let’s get to the review for “Steal Her Breath.” We came for the cat-and-mouse chase and stayed for the DePalma-lite fun. This mash-up of 80’s/90’s genre fare captures the pace, tone, and fun of some of the genre’s best, with a bit of Skinamax thrown in for good measure. This film is part of the Hnywood Production Company, established in 2020 by Andreas Kroneck and  Antonio Fernandes Lopes to bring back some of the fun, stylish Hollywood 80s classics to international audiences. We’re sold! This film, written and directed by Kroneck, is a loving tribute to those electric blue-hued thrillers. We think this is the perfect moment for a thriller resurgence, and this film does a good job of reminding us why we loved films like “The Grifters,” “Body Heat,” and “Basic Instinct.” 

Synopsis:

Virtuoso thief Laura (Luisa Binger) faces her ultimate challenge of outmaneuvering relentless policewoman Maxine (Christina Lopes) in a dangerous, passionate cat-and-mouse game. At the same time, a sadistic killer (Oliver Moller) marks them for death.

What Works:

Let’s start with the look of the film; it’s perfect, almost Giallo, with fantastic reds and blues gracing the screen. The palette sells the look and feel of the movie, and you’re immediately aware of the kind of experience you’re in for. Slick thieves who are always cool under pressure and the stoic cops bent on bringing them down, even if it means bending the rules till they shatter. Throw in a psycho killer who’ll stop at nothing to make an example of anyone who crosses them, and you’d think you’d fallen into the pages of a Jim Thompson novel. An inspired touch is the black-and-white flashbacks thrown in for backstory exposition. They help to round out the characters and add to the rich look of the film. The actors do a fantastic job bringing their characters to life. One of the genre's pitfalls can be cardboard interpretations and two-dimensional characters. Binger and Rieth do a remarkable job as cat and mouse. Their chemistry is one of the best elements of the movie. Their scenes swing wildly from touching to sizzling, holding your attention and the screen entirely. Ultimately, their desperation to connect with someone lands the hardest. We didn’t expect a story about the theft of a Nox list to be so touching. A side story centered around Maxine’s corrupt partner Joachim (Harald Hauber) adds to the film’s overall enjoyment and has a satisfying conclusion. 

What Could Have Been Better:

This is less of a criticism and more of a fact; this film is light. We never felt that the characters were in peril, even in some of the most intense scenes. All the pieces fit so deftly together, and the thieves are always in complete control of the situation that it robs the movie of tension and stakes. There were plenty of thrills, but we wished we’d been more invested in who would make it to the end credits. Erotic thrillers rely heavily on third-act plot twists, and there are none in “Steal Her Breath.” This is a miss for sure, but we were so wrapped up in the stellar performances of the leads and the smooth rhythm of the story that we could overlook this flaw. We couldn’t get past the cartoonish performance of the leading heavy, Laschla. Bordering on completely taking you out of the film, this character is meant to be akin to Gary Oldman from “Leon,” but comes off more like Shropshire Slasher from Looney Tunes. This is a fun romp of a movie, but this character fails. Had there been a more realistic depiction of a heavy you do not want to cross, the film would be better for it. We’re not sure the character is needed at all, and there’s a case to be made that another pass at the script could have removed him completely without sacrificing any of the beats that landed successfully. For a film owing so much to the legacy of Brian DePalma, we wish the set pieces had been a touch more intricate like the Swiss watch timing of some of the best DePalma had to offer in“Blow Out” and “Dressed to Kill.” These scenes work fine, but the blueprint was right there for the taking. 

Our Final Thoughts:

Cartoonish characters aside, we are thrilled that an international production company is dedicated to returning genre films to the masses. “Steal Her Breath” is a solid step in the right direction. There are so many loving homages to DePalma we left with a neon-tinged glow. 

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