"This house looked like an easy target. Until they found what was inside."
Filmology Rating: 3.1 out of 4
Three teenagers have done several small robberies before but aren’t really making enough so make a difference. When they learn that there is an old man who is sitting on pile of cash around 6 figures, they think that it will be an easy target. One last job so that they will be able to start over and get out of their awful lives at home. Man are they wrong. This is by no means an easy job and soon it turns into a nightmare. This older man, who also turns out to be blind, is not going to give up that money willingly or without a fight.
90 minutes of pure tension. This was a non-stop suspense ride that was so much fun! I've been waiting for this movie for a long time and I was not disappointed at all! Don't Breathe doesn’t feel like a modern day horror movie because it is very different from modern horror movies. Most horror movies today are filled with jump scares that aren’t really scary at all but make your heart skip a beat. A bird flying out of nowhere, nothing in the frame and then when the camera pans over in that area again something is there, and so on, are examples of these cheap techniques that add “horror” to a film. Don't Breathe is genuinely scary because of the situation that these kids are in. It is terrifying to think about what if you were in this situation and what would you do.
One of the best aspects of the film for me was its sound production and the aspect of light and darkness. The aspect of sound and silence were very similar to a movie on Netflix that I have reviewed called Hush (highly recommend if you haven’t seen). In that case it was a deaf woman and in this case a blind man. In Hush there was really the absence of sound and in Don't Breathe it was very similar. There were a lot of really quiet moments when the characters and the audience doesn’t even breathe to break that stillness and the suspense of the situation. When it came to the lighting of the movie, I loved it. There is this one scene where these characters are in the basement with the old man trying to find them when it is pitch black. This was fantastic and one of my favorite horror movie scenes in a while. So when it came to these aspects of sound or no sound, light or the absence of it, these moments only heighten the situation and make it even more terrifying to watch.
These brilliant and suspenseful scenes where brought to life by writers Fede Alvarez and Rodo Sayagues, and then directed by Fede Alvarez. They really did an awesome job with the characters. Jane Levy, Dylan Minnette, and Stephen Lang all were fantastic and the best thing about them and the writers were that they were smart! Smart characters in a horror movie? That can’t be correct…. Yes I know I was surprised too! They really were smart though and it was refreshing to see. Kudos to the writers and actors for really making some well-rounded characters.
Only real complaint is that it should’ve ended a scene earlier. You know what I mean when you see it. Overall this was a very well done horror movie and one that was actually scary! It will not let you down and you'll be at the edge of your seat in suspense for the entire film.
Rating: See It
-Nick
2016 is turning into a fantastic year for horror films with films like The Witch, 10 Cloverfield Lane, Green Room, Lights Out, and now Don’t Breathe being added to that outstanding lineup. Don’t Breathe comes to us from the mind of Fede Alvarez who also brought us the great Evil Dead reboot in 2013. My days of trying to claim I don’t like horror movies are long gone, I just don’t like bland, rote films of any genre. Luckily Don’t Breathe is one of the smartest horror thrillers in recent memory.
Life is hard in modern day Detroit. The recession hit the city hard with companies and families leaving, money becomes hard to find, and you might not always be able to tell who your true enemies are. The effects of the recession are felt by Rocky, played by Jane Levy, Alex, played by Dylan Minnette, and Money, played by Daniel Zovatto, who have resorted to robbing houses to make ends meet. Rocky wants just enough money that she can take her sister and get away from her abusive, dysfunctional family, Alex wants to help his crush and will do almost anything to help her, and Money is a wannabe gangster who would be robbing houses without motivation. The trio feel that they have found the motherload of houses to rob with a blind man, played by Stephen Lang, who has recently inherited thousands of dollars. Once inside the house the trio quickly realize that not everything is as it seems and that they might have entered a house of horrors.
Every horror movie lives and dies on its performances. If you never believe the terror of the victims or the bloodlust of the killer then the film will fail before it’s ever delivered. Don’t Breathe offers fantastic performances that can send chills down your spine from Stephen Lang and Jane Levy especially I find myself holding my breath. The tension couldn’t be higher and I find myself on the edge of my seat basically begging for the tension to be over. The tension is built by an outstanding sound design. This film uses silence to its benefit. You hear every creak from the house, every breath from our victims, just sitting in fear wondering when the killer will attack next.
The film has many scenes that are remarkable but it has one scene that will be talked about for years to come, to the point it rivals the standout scene from Silence of the Lambs. Darkness itself is a frightening thing but when you add a killer who will stop at nothing to have you stop breathing, it adds a whole other dimension. If you are expecting a slasher film the likes of A Nightmare on Elm Street or Halloween you will be sadly disappointed. Don’t Breathe offers tension but it doesn’t take glee in the murdering of its victims. The film instead wants to throw you into the house of horrors and ask “what would you do?”
Rating: See It
-Jonny G