Don't Breathe : La Maison des ténèbres

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.

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.

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.

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!

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