Don't Breathe

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

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.

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 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

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.