Sundance 2022

Reminiscent of Sidney Lumet's “Dog Day Afternoon,” “Breaking” (formerly titled 892) revolves around an attempted bank "heist" with atypical motivations. Based on a true story from 2017, John Boyega plays an ex-marine who walks into an Atlanta area bank and informs the staff that he has a bomb. While nearly all of the drama unfolds within the bank, the story's resonance comes from the revelations of the reasoning behind his attempted robbery. Michael K. Williams is excellent in his final on-screen appearance. Regrettably, the character's role is quite restricted, as he never manages to make any significant contribution to the story. Regardless of whether or not you are familiar with the events that inspired the film, the outcome of the standoff is apparent from the beginning. Even Boyega's character knows it from the outset. The story is very moving and worth watching, especially for the outstanding performances by Boyega and Williams.

— 3.5 / 5 ⭐