Don't Breathe (2016) User Reviews

A brilliant directed, riveting thriller !!!

[avik-basu1889 · 8/10 · 18 December 2016]

The central theme lying at the heart of 'Don't Breathe' is the sense of claustrophobia, a sense of being trapped/imprisoned. The director shows us a number of appropriate images like window bars, bars outside gates, prison like shadows being cast by Venetian blinds,etc. to drive home the theme. This theme resonates both in a literal sense with the kids being imprisoned in the house that they had planned to rob in the first place, as well as on a broader symbolic level because it is made clear that these youngsters aspire to break out of the 'prison' of life in a financially ailing Detroit and head for California.

This film at the heart of it is an exploitation film and certain details get revealed with the passage of time that in keeping with the genre of exploitation cinema, flirt with lack of realism and force you to suspend disbelief a bit. But what made it very easy for me to suspend disbelief and go along with the ride was Fede Alvarez's direction. Without his masterful directorial skills and storytelling, this film will not work, full stop. He elevates the film. The Giallo inspired visual texture that he uses with the red and green neon lights not just makes the film look vibrant, but also serves a thematic purpose. His camera is extremely active and he makes use of space in the interiors of the house skilfully. He uses extended long takes to raise the tension and his use of ambient noises and music is subtle and brilliant. The very first shot of the film itself is masterful in the way the camera moves from an overhead position gradually to a ground level one to reveal what's happening along with a gradual rise in the volume of the music.

Stephen Lang has to be admired for his performance. He brings a very raw, masculine physicality to his demeanour that truly makes him terrifying at times.

I think this is one of the best directed horror/thriller films I have seen for some time. It doesn't spend too much time in developing its characters. Both the sides in the conflict are not worth unconditional sympathy. The youngsters are low time criminals and the blind man is not someone worth sympathy either once certain details about his life and mental condition get revealed. I guess it was intentional on the director's part to stage the film with a degree of moral ambiguity where the viewer doesn't fully care for either of the two parties and in the end it works within the exploitation film framework.

To end, I'll say 'Don't Breathe' is a film that I would recommend more for the direction than for the script itself.

Edge of your Seat Suspense,

[lesleyharris30 · 8/10 · 26 September 2016]

Don't Breath is a great movie with a very well developed plot and a stellar cast. It is an absolute thrill ride, from the moment we enter this man's house there is a tension that does not go away, it never becomes tiring. It had me at the edge of my seat from start to finish, as we quickly gain support for these thieves as they get caught up in a bad situation.

It did, on the other hand, make some cliché plot developments. There are some moments that were so typical they took me away from a movie that was clearly trying to stand out, but was clearly forced by the studio to have some predictable plot points.

The cast is phenomenal and their chemistry with one another added to the suspense. Jane Levy and Dylan Minnette were very believable as down on their luck teenagers. The star of the show, however, is without a doubt Stephen Lang, a completely engrossing performance of a ruthless man with no soul, I believe it will go down as the highlight of his career.

The intimacy of the film is the main thing that makes it so fresh and interesting as a thriller, if it was taking place around a city or in a town it would not be half as suspenseful as having it all take place in a house. An intense adventure, Don't Breathe is a refreshing movie that certainly stands out from the crowd, I would recommend it to anyone looking for a good thriller.

A group of teenagers break in to a blind man's home in order to rob his possessions, however, they soon realise he is far smarter than they thought.

Best Performance: Stephen Lang

Stephen Lang is perfect, the movie very suspenseful.

[Veteransson · 7/10 · 12 January 2017]

Three burglars find out about a blind army vet, living in an abandoned street, sitting on a huge amount of cash. The three burglars break their rule of not stealing cash and decide to rob the place, thinking it would be a piece of cake. And of course it isn't. The blind army vet isn't as helpless as they had hoped for.

Don't Breathe is directed by Fede Alvarez, who also co-wrote the screenplay with Rodo Sayagues. They obviously felt inspired by David Fincher's Panic Room (2002), and did come up with a great, suspenseful movie. The three burglars are played by Jane Levy, Dylan Minnette and Daniel Zovatto, who all do a great job. Stephen Lang however outshines everyone in this movie as the old blind man. He doesn't say a lot but his gestures and mimics were enough to be uncomfortably creepy. Even though he played a blind guy, he still made his character seem anything but helpless, on the contrary, his character was more menacing than any ghost, monster or murderer from your average horror movie. On the other hand however, you feel sorry for the blind man. He's simply a man trying to protect his house from burglars. Or is there more behind this man? The movie does a good job making you wonder about whether the blind man has something to hide or not. The movie does a poorer job however with Daniel Zovatto's character, he's the typical character every horror movie has: the asshole that talks too much and doesn't care about anything or anyone.

Besides one or two cheap jump scares, the movie succeeded at maintaining a lingering suspense throughout the entire movie. Once the three burglars are inside the house, there won't be a moment that you'll feel at ease. This is an edge-of-your-seat kind of movie. The movie opens with a scene that obviously takes place later in the movie, which alerts you that until that scene, the burglars will never be safe, and heightens the suspense even more.

As the movie progresses, the twists and turns in the story start to accumulate. Twists and turns in a story are great but not if there are too many, and not if these twist and turns are the ones you might expect from a horror movie. Throughout its course, the movie becomes more and more predictable. And this is where the suspense, although still being present, lessens.

'Don't Breathe' is a great horror movie, accessible for people who don't usually enjoy the genre. It has a great premise and is very suspenseful but becomes a bit too predictable over time.

Great thriller with constant tension throughout

[Abdulxoxo · 7/10 · 8 February 2021]

When a group of teenagers decide to rob the house of a blind man, they get more than they bargained for when they realise this won't be like taking candy from a baby. This film was made on a relatively small budget and for that it deserves to be applauded. The central idea about the blind man and the way he uses his environment compared to the thieves is a good concept. In theory, with light they have the advantage, but without it the advantage switches. And the way this theme was developed wasn't bad. However, it's not as engaging as it could have been as I felt a certain disinterest in the outcome of the thieves. I think it's because of a lack of character development. We see Rocky and her sister living in not great conditions at the start of the movie so we know she wants the money to create a better life for her and her sister. But this section is brief. As for the boys, their back story was little to nothing. Enough time wasn't spent to let us get to know the teenagers before the action began, which meant that I didn't really care too much about what happened to them. There is also a big problem with plot holes. There were probably at least 4 or 5 times during the film where I thought "why would the characters do this? Or how the hell is that possible?" Another issue relates to a revealing scene later in the movie where the film loses its conviction in its own idea and goes more mainstream. The funny thing is, that was when the film was at its most interesting. But it was because of the shocking reveal that the viewer could finally understand something about the blind man that made him more than just what he'd been shown to be to that point. It's an extreme scene and somewhat uncomfortable to watch, but it provided some motive for what was happening up to that point.

Overall the film had potential. It's only 88 mins which means there was room to extend it a little to give us more of a back story to the main characters. That said, The cinematography, score and cast performance are all terrific.

An incredibly intense thriller

[moviewizguy · 9/10 · 17 March 2016]

Fede Alvarez just gave Green Room a run for its money with Don't Breathe, an incredibly intense film and glorious exercise in suspense. It's one of the best studio-produced thrillers I've seen in years. The premise is simple: A group of teens plans to break into a blind man's house to steal his money. Only thing, the old man is more adept than they realize. While the setup is a little too pedestrian, albeit economical, once the story gets rolling, the film doesn't let up, running at a lean 88 minutes. Other than that, Don't Breathe is best viewed going in knowing as little as possible.

This is Alvarez's first film in three years since his violent and solid remake of Evil Dead, and it is with this sophomoric debut that solidifies the genre filmmaker as someone with obvious talent. Inspirations are drawn from the best - Hitchcock, Fincher, and Wait Until Dark are a few - but Alvarez provides his own unique vision that truly makes the film his own. Like the masters before him, Don't Breathe is purely cinematic, relying less on dialogue and more on visual storytelling and sound to drive the film. The cinematography is amazing as well as the creative sound design, so much so they are characters within the film themselves.

The cast, while small, is great too, including Jane Levy, who can pretty much be titled this generation's scream queen after this and Evil Dead. Dylan Minnette is good in his role as well, providing enough sympathy for his character. Both young actors are put through hell, and their physical performances sell their tumultuous ordeal convincingly. However, it is Stephen Lang who is the film's shining beacon. As the antagonist, Lang is instantly memorable and frightening, an intimidating force that permeates throughout the film even in scenes without his presence.

If there's one gripe about the film, there's a plot twist that doesn't quite work, but that itself is a minor complaint compared to the many things the film gets right and does so well. I won't say more. Don't Breathe is a technical achievement, the rare studio film that actually pushes what film can do as a medium. However, like with Green Room, try not to get caught up in the hype, even with my glowing review. Set your expectations appropriately, and remember to avoid watching the trailer.

Unstoppable tension

[thedude00 · 7/10 · 31 March 2016]

After Evil Dead's well-made remake, a lot of us felt that Fede Alvarez was a director to watch. With Don't Breathe, he definitely became a director I'm very excited to see future projects from.

I admire his knack to generate tension. After the film kicks off, there is really no stopping. It became almost unbearable at the end, nearly reaching the point of overkill. When you have a thriller filled with so much tension throughout its running time, there's only so much you can do before you start yelling "you gotta be kidding me" at the screen.

The cinematography was beautiful and moody and the performances were fine, except maybe Jane Levy, who I felt was too wooden, making her character a little bit unlikable.

Don't Breathe was a solid effort and a great addition to the home invasion genre with a little twist.

Unbelievable thriller

[sgriff22555 · 9/10 · 25 August 2016]

I just got back from a premiere screening and here are my thoughts.

DON'T READ REVIEWS FOR THIS FILM!!!

Avoid trailers and movie clips too. Avoid anything that could be a spoiler.

The less you know the better the film will be.

If you're a horror/thriller fan GO SEE THIS RIGHT NOW. You will be very glad you did.

The film was exhilarating, tense, eerie, and exhausting, with an amazing score.

Thank you Alvarez.

Now to try to sleep...

Fede Alvarez puts on a masterclass on how to craft a suspenseful film

[rafaytherman · 10/10 · 28 August 2016]

Let's break it down, shall we?

What makes a thriller good? It's the suspense, the nail-biting, tense situations the film presents that have the audience at the edge of their seats at all times. And I can say, without a shadow of a doubt, that this film delivers just that. Whenever you feel like the scene is over, and that you have some breathing room, BOOM! Fede drops the characters in a much worse predicament, with the excellent and diverse score by Roque Baños pounding in the background. The score of the film elevates each scene and as the film progresses, the movie raises the bar and ups the ante with each passing moment. Once the characters enter the house, the film always has you in a vice grip and never lets go. It makes you feel what the characters are feeling; their dread, their helplessness; and that is a testament to how great a director, Fede is.

Let's move on to the actors. So the main cast consists of Stephen Lang, Jane Levy and Dylan Minnette, and each of them nailed their role. Stephen Lang, sir, hats off to you. The man looks like a bad ass without even trying. That's just what Mr. Lang is, a bad ass. But his performance in this film was much more nuanced. You could see that he was a much more complex character. He showed vulnerability, sadness, anger, depression and hopelessness, all through facial expressions, as his role did not require extensive dialogue. He was the star of the film. But equally so was Jane Levy. Now if you're a huge fan of her, like me, you've probably seen Evil Dead and all three seasons of Suburgatory, and you already know that she's a very diverse actress. But in this film, she took her performance to another level. The dread in her eyes, the anguish, as well as the determination to do what she had to do in the film, all were portrayed so well through physical acting and body language, and the same could be said for Dylan Minette's performance. A+'s all around.

Overall, I can confidently say, this is the best film I've experienced in the cinema, this year. Give this film all the money you can. These people deserve it. Thank you to everyone involved, for this experience.

Not bad and rather unique

[frosty-44431 · 7/10 · 6 February 2021]

I was expecting this film to be cheesy and well, crap! But I was surprised. I feel it grips the audience really well.

DON'T BREATHE - THE PERFECT TITLE

[guljannat · 10/10 · 27 April 2020]

Suspense and thriller through out the entire movie. In fact, in some scenes, we were unable to breathe. We were scared of that old man...

It's a good thriller movie to watch with family.

Basting the turkey will never be the same again.

[valleyjohn · 7/10 · 22 December 2016]

Not being a massive fan of horror films I'm quite selective in which ones I watch . The reviews for this were pretty good so I gave it a go and I have to say I really enjoyed it. It's the story of three friends who decide to rob the home of a blind war veteran but things go terribly wrong when they find out that there is more to this man than they first thought. What I like about this is that it doesn't have any supernatural aspect to the story so it feels more real than most horrors. There are some quite disturbing scenes so it's not for the faint hearted . One especially involving a turkey baster but you will have to see the film to find out what that's all about ! All in all it's well worth a watch but not with granny at Christmas.

love this movie highly recommend

[0U · 23 February 2020]

Don't Breathe: That rare modern horror film that uses tension building and atmosphere. With an unsettiling preformance from Stephan Lang and a totaly original story while being full of hitchcocking suspence and twists to create real modern horror, Don't Breathe is that rare modern horor film that succeds Intellectually as well as viscerally. if you like horror it is a must watch!

Don't Breathe Is Not Only Extremely Intense, But It Also Sets An Example Of How Horror Movies Of Today Should Be Made

[Gresh854 · 6/10 · 30 August 2016]

I'm not the hugest horror movie buff, but when it comes to horror films like The Shining or Cabin In The Woods just know it increases my liking of the horror genre. Now rarely today will I find a horror film that I will extremely like or even like at all. It's almost now a 1/3 ratio were I'll actually go into a horror movie and find it to be a decent film. Don't Breathe not only expands a new level of intensity in horror or thriller films, but if it makes enough money it could inspire new waves of actually really good horror movies. Don't Breathe blew me away I was so immersed into this film that I almost felt like I was in the horrible situation that the characters in the film were in. There was so many times were I was on the edge of my seat and even sometimes holding in my own breath when the actors were holding their breaths. The premise of this film isn't very new it's kind of borrowed off of films like Panic Room but I think with horror films like The Conjuring, it's okay to borrow off cliché premises if the film itself is done right. The two main characters played by Jane Levy and Dylan Minnette have great character development. When a horror movie gives characters good development and likability it just makes the film way better. Cause now that I have these two characters that I actually care about it'll make me care about what will possibly happen too them throughout the runtime of the film. Now Stephen Lang's character I thought was very menacing as this Blind man. He had a great back story and he was a threat to be reckoned with. Also the way the camera focuses or moves around from scene to scene or place to place is done so well that it brings the intensity level to a more even pace. There's even a lot of long shots in this film that kept me on the edge of my seat. Now I do have one complaint with this film and that is about, no spoilers of course, the ending. The ending I think went on for too long it could've cut off at least 15 minutes earlier and the film would've been better. The film just kept dragging on and it felt unnecessary. Also just a heads up if you haven't yet seen the trailer for this film, I recommend not seeing it cause it actually spoils part of the movie. Other than that I had such an amazing time with Don't Breathe and if your a fan of the horror genre, definitely go into it and if you are interested in having a exciting experience at the movies go and see this film. This is easily one of my favorite films this year and I'm going to give Don't Breathe a grade of an A and a IMDb score of a 9/10.

Once in a life time

[blazingheart-66510 · 10/10 · 9 November 2019]

A once in a life time movie a new type of horror never seen before simply it's holding the breath what a masterpiece ...

An Intense and Suspenseful Thriller

[mzaighamabbas · 8/10 · 26 December 2016]

Fede Alvarez does it again. The director of the renowned horror film "Evil Dead," brings to you a piece of excellence that will have you hold your breath throughout this morality thriller – "Don't Breathe." It is an exquisite play that plays with the audience's integrity and the will to do the right thing while conveying the story in such a way that we feel helpless and uneasy the same way that the protagonists on screen do.

Alvarez made a lot of smart decisions in the making of this film and one of these decisions was choosing the right cast. He was really wise to reunite himself with the star of "Evil Dead," Jane Levy, an actress who is fearless at any given situation, and he was even wiser to cast Stephen Lang, an astounding actor for decades, who brilliantly portrays quite a challenging role here. Alvarez and his team give a remarkable visual representation of the story just by the exquisite sense of geography throughout the film, keeping in mind almost the whole film is a one- setting implementation thriller.

Here is a short insight of the film and what you're going to expect. The story starts off with the audience getting to know the three protagonists of the film: Rocky (Levy), her boy friend Money (Daniel Zovatto), and wanna-be boyfriend, Alex (Dylan Minnette). These three teen crooks rob houses in the wealthy suburbs in Detroit for some easy cash, however Alex's dad manages a security company that gives them the access to most of the alarm systems installed in houses they plan to rob, which means a lot less of "breaking" in breaking & entering. Rocky lives in a dump with her innocent sister, corrupt mother, and her mother's formidable boyfriend.

Since we're discussing the insights on individual characters of the story, it would be the perfect time to point out one of the drawbacks to this film. The reason many horror films always feel incomplete is because they don't have a solid background story to build up to an intense climax; rather they're just a continuity of techniques to give a sense of fear to the audience. This is what distinguished "Don't Breathe" compared to the other horror films… till this point. Even though Alvarez shed a good amount of light on Rocky, and the blind man (Lang) later on, he didn't give enough insight on Alex and Money and that's to the film's disadvantage since the audience was not able to fully understand the character traits that define that specific role. You could feel Alvarez was rushing to the "good part" of the story however the "good part" could have been better if he took time to give an understanding on these two protagonists.

Getting back to the gist of the film, the three teenagers are sick of quickie robberies so they hope for a better job that could possibly change their future and to their luck, Money uncovered an easy gig, which is to steal a good amount of money that sits in a safe in a blind veteran's house. With this money, Money and Rocky, along with her sister, plan to move away to California in hope for a better life. It seems like an easy job to rob a blind old man who lives alone with the access to his alarm system; what could go wrong?

As mentioned before, the integrity of the audience is at question throughout the film since you wouldn't opt for teenagers to rob a helpless blind old man. But is he that helpless? The low-level criminals underestimated the blind veteran and that resulted in a not very fruitful situation for Rocky, Alex, and Money. However the moral complexity takes a back seat after a significant plot twist towards the end of the story. Trying to refrain from any spoilers, let's just say that the blind old man is a definite villain for a very disturbing situation.

Overall this has been a great thriller that you will surely love to watch again and again without losing even a bit of interest every time you watch it. The battle of wills between the protagonists and the antagonists is the headline of the film and the wonderful cinematography creates a frightful atmosphere for the audience to get engaged in. The icing on the cake has to be the various plot twists here and there, which keep you wondering what would happen next and of course have you hold your breath.

Overrated Thriller

[claudio_carvalho · 6/10 · 18 October 2016]

In Detroit, the burglars Money (Daniel Zovatto), Rocky (Jane Levy) and Alex (Dylan Minnette) plot a heist in the isolated house of a Blind Man (Stephen Lang), who received a large amount when his beloved daughter died in a car accident. They have the intention to move to California with the stolen money. They give a spiked candy to the dog and break in the house. Money gases the bedroom of the Blind Man to make him sleep and they seek where the money is hidden. Out of the blue, the Blind Man comes to the place where the trio is. What will happen to them?

"Don't Breathe" is an overrated thriller with unlikable and nasty characters. The Blind Man is a psychopath and Rocky, Alex and Money are burglars that like to vandalize the houses they break in; therefore they should all have died. In addition, the story is flawed since there are two persons against one blind man (and one dog) and they could have hit him on the head to rob his money. My vote is six.

Title (Brazil): Not Available on Blu-Ray or DVD

Superb Horror

[TheMovieBro · 9/10 · 16 January 2021]

Really excellent horror movie. I went in expecting it to be a run-of-the-mill forgettable horror movie with all the same jump and gore garbage. Instead I found an ever surprising gem of a horror movie. I'll admit it might not be as good the second time, once you know all the twists and turns, but man oh man is this a great horror movie.

The Editing was great

[klheintz · 7/10 · 1 November 2016]

Don't Breathe is a different kind of movie in the home invasion genre because it actually follows those who invaded in the first place getting hunted. I have yet to see a movie like that so I found the beginning very enjoyable and was almost rooting for the "Blind Guy." That changed pretty quickly.

The movie is very intense and the editing in the movie is very well done. The way scenes/shots are set up are freaking great in my opinion. There were many moments I went back to watch the last few seconds again because it was such a well set up scene. Definitely the best thing about the movie.

Without getting into spoilers or anything, a lot is made clear towards the end of the movie but it still tries to stay relatively realistic even though the last 1/3rd of the movie doesn't feel like anything special.

Overall the movie as a whole is still very good with certain parts of it feeling perfect and then other parts, like the flow of scenes towards the end, lose the appeal and tension of the beginning by throwing in typical tropes.

Super jumpy thriller!

[davidtron2000 · 8/10 · 3 October 2016]

A super intense thriller which kept me hidden behind my popcorn for the majority of the second half. So many moments lead you to believe the kids escape the blind man's home.. then BLAM, he comes back in some form.

Although I struggle to sit calmly through 'jumpy' films, the excitement this one created through moments of tension defined its quality as a believable action thriller.

I very much enjoyed the film and recommend to others. The $9 million budget production of a $120 million grossing film is mighty impressive.

8 STARS.

Not great.

[TakeUpReel · 3/10 · 3 May 2020]

This is a movie filled with plot holes, cliches and very improbable circumstances.

I didn't care for any major character in this movie.

Some of the tension was good, but it was overshadowed by the stupidity of the script.

Intense Thriller with Great Performances

[Michael_Elliott · 14 February 2017]

Don't Breathe (2016)

*** (out of 4)

Extremely well-made and intense thriller about three small-time criminals (Jane Levy, Dylan Minnette, Daniel Zovatto) who make their money by breaking into homes. They decide to focus in on the home of an Iraqi vet who is blind because of a large settlement he received and they believe the cash is inside the house. It doesn't take long for them to realize they've made a major mistake.

Fede Alvarez directed and co-wrote this film, which is without question one of the best thrillers that I've seen from recent years. Everything about this movie is pretty darn good, although I will admit that once it was over I was able to pick apart several logical issues. With that said, while the movie is going on there's no question that it keeps you on the edge of your seat and also manages to make you not look away from everything that is happening.

I'm not going to go into many details because there are some twists and turns that shouldn't be ruined for anyone. I must admit that I thought the story worked perfectly well and I also thought that the director did a great job with the visual style of the picture and the fact that once he gets your pulse rate up he never lets go. The most impressive thing about the film is the fact that you're basically stuck inside the home and yet the director is able to get tension from every room in the house as well as every twist in the story.

Levy is wonderful in the lead role as the criminal who is trying to get one last score so that she can protect and move her sister out of a bad household. I also thought Minnette and Zovatto were effective in their roles playing two totally opposite characters. Then there's Stephen Lang who is downright magnificent as the old blind man. He's certainly a very threatening character and Lang plays him to perfection. Again, I'm not going to spoil anything but lets just say Lang plays everything wonderfully well.

I did have some issues with the picture including the fact that only in today's day and age could there be a story about three worthless criminals who break in on a war vet and they are the good guys. I must admit that I had a hard time cheering for these three lazy kids who went for crime instead of a real job. Some moral conflicts aside, DON'T BREATHE was a highly entertaining and very effective thriller.

Masterful thrill ride

[UniqueParticle · 10/10 · 11 February 2020]

Originally saw in the theater which was glorious! I absolutely love Don't Breathe it's very intense, well filmed, lots of well done suspense, surprises, and very entertaining! I love Jane Levy's beauty of her hair and outfit. I appreciate effed up horror more than most so to me this is a goldmine in the genre.

Soccer mom thriller

[kaisemailaddress · 6/10 · 6 August 2017]

I decided to watch this movie because it had an 7.2 rating, which is unusual for a thriller/horror movie. I do not think it deserves a 7.2 rating.

The film avoids the most obvious clichés, which is good.

Without saying too much, I will point out that there are a couple of things about the plot that doesn't make sense, and it ends with a very obvious religious moralizing message.

I think this movie deserves at most a rating of 6.

Tense

[seanm-58240 · 8/10 · 18 December 2020]

I think this is a remake of a Saturday Night Thriller from 1982 called 'A walk in the dark' starring Dennis Quilley

Horror has a new name!

[ctowyi · 7/10 · 25 August 2016]

The power of a film's opening establishing shot cannot be under-estimated. If done well it will pull the viewer in and the storytelling becomes an easier job. One of my favourite opening shots hails from Highlander (1986). It has that curious gaze on a scene of mayhem that breathes with unusual counterpoints. It is hypnotising, beguiling, almost surreal, as you try to make sense of it. However I can't say the rest of the film did that clever opening scene any justice. Don't Breathe, on the other hand, has none of these issues. It opens with a scene that feels weirdly out of place but yet has a visceral and realistic quality about it. Questions whizzed through my mind as I silently prayed that the journey of discovery be a rewarding one. It is. Oh my... It fricking is.

Uruguayan writer/director Fede Alvarez's debut is a remake of Evil Dead (1981) called.... ahem.... Evil Dead (2013). It is loud, deafening and pours a swimming pool of blood all over you because he thinks more is good. His sophomore effort Don't Breathe is quieter, superbly lo-fi and the scares hit a lot harder. Running at 88 minutes, this is one lean, mean, crackerjack of a movie. Nary a scene is wasted. It resembles Netflix's Hush a lot in the sense that it is a home invasion psychological horror film and the homeowner is physically impaired. In the excellent Hush, the female victim is a deaf mute, while in Don't Breathe we get a blind man. But mark this, the similarities end there. Hush is a straight up thriller and we can easily root for the victim and celebrate her clever one-ups against the psychopath. In Don't Breathe we don't get that luxury and our sympathies for each character will sway across the board. There is an air of unpredictability permeating throughout the movie and the tension slowly rams up to dizzying hair-pulling levels. There are some inventive scenes that press the "genre refresh" button and if you have been watching as many of these genre flicks as I have, that is something quite rare.

The best character here is definitely The Blind Man played devilishly well by Stephen Lang. His dialogue is very spare but when it comes it will send a shiver down your spine. He is feral, doesn't listen to desperate cries of mercy and is a force of primal nature. Being blind means naught to him because he knows the lay of his house like the back of his massive hand. The battleground is his playground. You can go in but you can't get out. At a certain point we discover a sickening secret about him and it is such an uncomfortable eye-popping moment. But yet it is a powerful scene because I started to pity his heartbreaking desperation. Lang has brought his A game and it is a character that will haunt me for a long time.

The cinematography is fluid and really brings out the claustrophobic feel of pure terror. Alvarez has delivered a thoroughly satisfying genre horror flick that is definitely not derivative. Evil Dead (2013) is forgotten. Don't Breathe is Alvarez's new first horror film. Horror has a new name. Remember his name.