Netflix is on a roll when it comes to new thriller movies. First, the streaming service dropped the excellent “Rebel Ridge” and then followed it with the even better “Woman of the Hour”. Next up to the plate is “Don’t Move," a survival thriller so intense that you might find yourself holding your breath.
“Don’t Move” lands on Netflix today (Friday, Oct. 25), and while it does have some clear flaws — it probably isn’t going to score 90% or higher on Rotten Tomatoes like its two previously mentioned Netflix thrillers — it’s still a streaming original movie worth adding to your watchlist. The flick also clocks in at a breezy 85 minutes in length, so it’s perfect when you need a quick adrenaline hit.
Want to know more about “Don’t Move” before watching? You’ve come to the right place, here’s everything you need to know about this new Netflix thriller, and why it’s a movie you should make time to stream this weekend…
What is ‘Don’t Move’ about?
From directors Adam Schindler and Brian Netto, and producer Sam Raimi, “Don’t Move” opens with a woman named Iris (Kelsey Asbille) taking a trip to a secluded forest. But she’s not here for a peaceful hike through the lush woodlands, she’s deep in grief after losing her young son several months previously.
In the woods, she meets a stranger, who introduces himself as Richard (Finn Wittrock). At first, Richard seems friendly, but his sinister true intentions are soon revealed. He injects Iris with a paralytic agent, and she has just minutes before her entire body shuts down and she’s rendered immobile.
What follows is a deadly game of cat and mouse as Iris attempts to escape her tormentor. But how do you evade a psychopathic killer when your limbs are frozen and the only thing you can control is your eyes? In this unthinkable nightmare scenario, Iris can hide but she can’t run.
‘Don’t Move’ is packed with suspense and fear
The core narrative hook of “Don’t Move” is an intriguing one. In a typical survival thriller, the protagonist may not be able to outmuscle the deranged killer stalking them, but they can at least outrun, or outfox them. Iris can’t do either. She has to survive her ordeal while being almost completely locked in place, which makes for some seriously intense sequences.
This is where “Don’t Move” finds the greatest success. The tension is often so palatable that you might end up holding your breath out of pure terror. You can practically feel Iris’ burning frustration as she wills her limbs to move without success. It’s maddening, but also terrifying, and it’s these scenes, such as one where Iris flops into a rushing river to escape, that are the most memorable.
Unfortunately, even with a zippy runtime of 85 minutes (sans credits), there’s only so far this premise can stretch, and towards the end of the movie, “Don’t Move” becomes a little too reliant on plot contrivances. How much movement Iris can muster also becomes a little inconsistent. However, these issues can be forgiven in the name of keeping the pacing up and the story moving forward.
Without the ability to express with her body, let alone her vocal cords, Kelsey Asbille has to do a lot of acting with her eyes. While the “Yellowstone” alumni does a valiant job, it’s a little hard to build a true connection with Iris, and without wanting to give any spoilers, her big third-act moment falls a little flat. At least Finn Wittrock is up to the task of playing a suitably menacing antagonist, and his shift from friendly stranger to predator is pretty disturbing.
Viewers craving a little blood are also well-catered to. To keep things interesting, a few additional characters are thrown into the mix (a helpful passerby and a curious cop), and in these moments the spotlight is taken off Iris and instead, we see Richard in full flow, using every trick in the psychopath playbook to cunningly convince these people to believe him. The results are brief but intense moments of violence that help raise the stakes even higher.
Disposable is a word that kept coming to me while I watched “Don’t Move." This sounds like a criticism on the surface, and I suppose it technically is, but there’s also something to be said for an easy-watching thriller that strips the genre down to its bare essentials. There’s no doubt that “Don’t Move” won’t stay with me in the way that “Woman of the Hour” has, but it’s largely effective in delivering thrills, and that’s its primary goal. It doesn’t have to be more.
Stream ‘Don’t Move’ on Netflix now
Netflix subscribers eat up thriller movies, so I suspect that “Don’t Move” is going to rocket straight into the service’s top 10 most-watched list over the coming days. While it’s not quite the same quality level as Netflix’s other recent efforts in the genre, it’s still a worthwhile watch, and it moves at a brisk enough pace that you can gloss over the flaws and just enjoy the delicious moments of suspense.
If you’re looking for something to watch this weekend that will really raise your heart rate, then “Don’t Move” is the perfect pick. And it’s also a great seasonal watch for those who want something thrilling but without all the jump scares usually found in traditional Halloween movies.
If you’re not totally sold on “Don’t Move”, or just want some additional options to pad out your watchlist, check these Netflix movies that are set to be removed from the service next week. Plus, if you want some Halloween-inspired recommendations, check out our complete Horror movie guide for 2024.
Watch "Don't Move" on Netflix now
