Review: "Don't Breathe"

Copyright 2016 Ghost House Pictures

Generally speaking, I devote too much time to watching and reading about movies to experience mainstream cinema "blind." Outside my yearly excursion to the Maryland Film Festival, I rarely have the opportunity to sit down and watch something that hasn't been endlessly marketed towards me. Every now and then, something will slip through the cracks, and Don't Breathe was that uncommon movie I somehow managed to avoid every bit of promotion for.

I didn't know it was the latest movie from Director Fede Alvarez, the man responsible for the 2013 remake of Evil Dead, or that it reunited Alvarez with his star from that picture, Jane Levy. I was aware that it was a horror movie and knew some of my friends were looking forward to it. I'm usually game to see whatever, so we trekked up to the theater on Thursday night, as usual.

There was a mild sense of excitement in, and appreciation for, not knowing what to expect. It had come up in conversation that the story involved a blind victim, prompting me to swiftly connect it with other films where the protagonist is unable to use all of his or her senses, such as Terence Young's Wait Until Dark and Mike Flanagan's Hush. Naturally, I imagined a scenario where home invaders terrorize a weak, disabled person.

Don't Breathe was able to subvert that expectation, however, by swapping the usual roles and changing predator into prey. Jane Levy, Dylan Minnette (Goosebumps), and Daniel Zovatto (It Follows) play a trio of thieves who break into the home of a disabled man to steal $300,000 in cash rumored to be hidden somewhere in the house. Should be an easy score; how hard could it be for three twenty-somethings to handle one old man?

After getting into the house, things seems "off," and at least one of them wants to abandon the score. Small difficulties turn into big problems for the burglars, however, in the form of Stephen Lang (Avatar). Turns out their easy mark is blind, but he's also an ultra-competent military veteran and well-prepared for defending his home. Once he discovers the intruders, he goes on the offensive, and the film becomes a suspenseful game of cat-and-mouse.

It was unfortunate that we had some yahoos in the audience because sound becomes an extremely important factor for the majority of the film. Creaking floorboards, rustling clothes -- any noise at all alerts The Blind Man to the whereabouts of the burglars. As a result, the film has a lot of quiet moments that become extremely tense; and the closer The Blind Man gets the more it becomes important for the characters to heed the advice of the film's title.

This isn't a particularly gory film; Alvarez is more interested in making you sweat than causing you to lose your lunch. But, there are a few graphic shots and one incident involving body fluid that might make some people wince. He and his co-writer, Rodo Sayagues, never go for the cheap scares and do you the favor of saving a couple shocking revelations for the back half of the picture.

If there is an Achilles heal to Don't Breathe, it would be that the characters are thinly drawn and poorly motivated. Levy's character has a terrible home life and a little sister she wants to remove from the toxic environment. Minnette's character goes along with the plan because he secretly loves her. That's as good as it gets, I'm afraid. Not horrible, just weak, and it left me not caring much about who lived or died. Even Lang's character, who might seem the perfect vehicle for some old-fashioned wish fulfillment, is revealed to be completely deranged.

The technical work on the film is top notch, from the cinematography to the editing to the aforementioned sound design. I had a good time despite screening conditions and little sympathy for any of the characters. Ultimately, Alvarez & Company did a good enough job keeping my pulse racing that it didn't matter who was left standing in the end.