Review: Don't Breathe

With a relatively low budget, a recognizable star, a talented director, and an intriguing premise, ‘Don’t Breathe’ delivers all the thrills and leaves little room for you to breathe. Viciously directed and tenaciously paced, ‘Don’t Breathe’ keeps your eyes glued each second and your exhales to a bare minimum. After the first 15 minutes of set-up, the film rips across the screen and the intensity of each scene grows and grows. Your heart beats faster, your fists clinch harder, and your mouth remains shut as soon as you enter the home. It begins with a one-take shot that immediately grips your throat and drags you into the darkness. Your eyes widen and you’re locked in, there is no turning back and the thrills have only just begun. The film’s premise could have fallen apart, but Stephen Lang (‘Avatar’) delivers a menacing performance that sells this film even more. Jane Levy and Dylan Minnette also deliver serviceable performances as the two young-adults who got themselves into this mess. Levy is the standout of the two and she really knows how to act. When the film reaches its later stages her potential begins to shine through and she rocks it. The characters don’t speak often and that’s okay because sound is integral to this experience, or in most cases here, the lack of sound is important as well. Alvarez directs moments in this film that are chilling to the core and the lack of sound makes it all the more thrilling. The one thing that I love most about ‘Don’t Breathe’ is that the film gives you very little time, if any, to stop and capture your thoughts. With multiple snaps of a finger you’re on to the next thrill, and you’re still trying to recollect your thoughts. Even though the film is a snappy 88 minutes, the experience feels longer because of how the film makes you feel. I’ve always preferred the feeling of being scared, instead of physically being scared, if that makes any sense. ‘Don’t Breathe’ doesn’t rely on cheap, predictable jump scares. It relies on real terror and claustrophobia to make you feel scared. To me, that is how horror should be done. ‘Don’t Breathe’ isn’t without its occasional jump to get your blood pressure rising, but it utilizes those moments in the right way. They jumps feel earned instead of being scary for the sake of being scary. Although I’ve been singing high praises about ‘Don’t Breathe’ it isn’t without a head scratcher or two. When the film was beginning to reach its climax it started feeling a bit clichéd, but as the big finale was about to begin, the film became really dark. It didn’t feel like a tonal shift because everything that occurred was plausible. It was smart. It didn’t go for shock value without making sense. Fede Alvarez dropped mini-clues and hints throughout, and then when the plot begins to unfold, the picture is becoming clearer. Motivations become deeper and more meaningful for our antagonist. As with most horror films it seems like the ending can never be right. The ending has me feeling very indifferent and sitting on the fence of whether or not I like it. Obviously, no spoilers, but you’re just going to have to see it for yourself and decide how the ending makes you feel. In conclusion, ‘Don’t Breathe’ is a wonderful film from beginning to end and the thrills, chills, and scares deliver. The premise is masterfully executed and the technical aspects of the film are flat out flawless. Stephen Lang is menacing and Levy and Minnette are making their case for future Hollywood stars. Fede Alavarez has a gem on his hands with ‘Don’t Breathe’ and I’m hoping to see similar work from him in the near future. Check the film out and make sure to breathe one more time before the film begins because you won’t be able to exhale until the credits begin to roll. ‘Don’t Breathe’ gets an 8/10