Paul Pompa III’s “Just Breathe” is a surprisingly suspenseful crime-action thriller that is worth watching for those looking for a gripping story with mild tension. Following an ex-convict, Nick (Kyle Gallner), trying to win his ex-girlfriend back from her landlord, who also happens to be his corrupt parole officer, the film isn’t revolutionary, but it’s certainly entertaining.

Delivering a raw, gripping performance in the star role as Nick, Gallner holds the film on his shoulders. His performance, coupled with a mildly compelling plot and a handful of exciting scenes, is entertaining enough to keep audiences engaged throughout.

The film begins with Nick in a therapy session for his anger issues, where his therapist makes him hit a punching bag with a baseball bat, a questionable choice for an introductory scene — and definitely a questionable therapy exercise — but it works, showing how fast Nick can become dangerously aggressive.

It then jumps to him preparing to propose to his girlfriend, Mel (Emyri Crutchfield), at a fancy restaurant. Clearly establishing Mel as the person of most importance to Nick through having the actors longingly stare at each other, the film takes a too-obvious approach to making the audience aware of the stakes of their relationship, with basic dialogue that felt like a lull.

Crutchfield’s portrayal of Mel unfortunately falls flat throughout, which is a particularly noticeable issue when her main scene partner is an actor as convincing as Gallner. Also, the inclusion of Mel struggling with an eating disorder didn’t feel thought-out or effective in establishing her character.

The peaceful dinner atmosphere is quickly shattered as we see Nick’s thinly veiled anger issues on full display, punching out a waiter after overhearing him in the bathroom talking badly about Mel’s appearance and sending him into a coma. Gallner, again, makes this scene gripping to watch with his on-point facial expressions.

The next few scenes are awkwardly cut together with poorly used fade-ins to show the passage of time, but they barely help the audience understand that Nick spends a year in prison.

A forgettable scene that should have been cut shows Nick being lectured by another inmate about how he needs to control his anger. It felt like it needed more meaningful dialogue and had little impact on Nick’s character arc.

The rest of the film follows Nick as he tries to get his life back together after getting out of prison — that includes trying to win Mel back while she is being conspicuously pursued by her landlord, Chester (Shawn Ashmore), who also happens to be Nick’s parole officer.

The film’s big twist is that Chester is a corrupt parole officer who uses his power over his parolees to extort them for money and other favors. He also tries to not-so-subtly win Mel over by purposefully damaging appliances in her home as an excuse to visit her.

While Chester is slightly unnerving, the reveal that he is a corrupt and evil individual hardly comes as a surprise, as Nick continuously questions Chester’s intentions throughout the film.

Ashmore’s performance as Chester is also satisfying to watch and unsettling anytime he’s on screen. He is an excellent foil to Nick, as his anger issues are also prominent, going so far as to force one of his parolees to bash their own nose with a mallet in order to frame Nick for assault.

Chester also forces one of his parolees, Jennifer, to temporarily hand over her daughter so he can pretend to be a single father and appear more attractive to Mel. This scheme alone successfully demonstrates how scarily immoral Chester is and why he makes for a great antagonist.

The film’s careful depiction of Nick’s mental health struggles and ultimate mental stability feels very calculated and intentional, creating a surprisingly hopeful and optimistic story of ex-convict rehabilitation. However, there isn’t a valuable display of character growth, and the narrative almost encourages Nick to lose control of his anger when he fights Chester head-on near the end of the film.

Regardless, that final confrontation becomes worth the wait when Nick rescues Mel from Chester’s shed and beats Chester by driving a knife into his eye.

However, the conclusion feels like a fairytale ending that gave each character a happily ever after. While it is satisfying to see the characters finally being happy, for a gritty movie that feels raw and honest up until the end, the tonal shift comes off cheesy.

Generally, the film is engaging and enjoyable, largely thanks to the performances of Gallner and Ashmore. It is brought down, however, by some mediocre writing choices and some scenes that feel unnecessary, especially toward the beginning, and detract from its coherence.