The Break-In

(2016)**1/2

Jeff and Melissa are expecting a baby and they recently moved into the adjacent condo of their best friends, Steve and Lisa. Excited about his new iPhone Jeff constantly films everything and everyone. This amounts to little more than boring conversations about shopping, small talk, reminisces about college, etc. as they go through the machinations of their lives. One morning Lisa comes over and informs them that there has been a break-in in the neighborhood. Concerned about their well-being Jeff installs an expensive security system. From this point on the story is viewed through Jeff’s iPhone and the security cameras in their sterile home. Soon a local cop visits and encourages Jeff to keep filming all the time because, “Sometimes things go on in the background”.

Taking a beat from the ‘Paranormal Activity’ formula The Break-In is a (now) paint-by-numbers found footage film including mundane characters who live humdrum lives with long stretches where little is happening to keep the viewer engaged even within a short 70 minutes. Perhaps that’s the point? In general our lives are mundane but sometimes bad things happen? Not a lot happens and the story could be told in 30 minutes but the characters are likable enough and I must admit that I did get sucked into some of their boring conversations.