Don't Breathe
Todd Gaines

Review by Todd Gaines

Don't Breathe 2016 ★★★★

Watched Aug 26, 2016

For me, sound is a vital reason why I enjoy horror movies. From John Carpenter's Halloween to present day movies such as It Follows and The Guest, sound can make or break a movie. Don't Breathe has a nice sound, but it's the lack of sound at times, that brings the house down.

Kids, don't break into houses. Nothing ever good comes from it. I thought the trailer gave too much of the plot away. I was dead wrong. It would be criminal for me to discuss more of the plot. All I'll say is there's a scene as memorable as American History X's curb stomp.

If you've seen The Hard Way, you know Stephen Lang is one of the most underrated baddies. In Don't Breathe, he proves he's also one of the most underrated actors, period. Lang is the movie's acting glue, and his performance will stick with you for a long time.

I like it when I can't make up my mind who to cheer for. I went back and forth a few times, and I'm not sure if I'm 100% pleased with the ending. The kids all impressed me, but all of them are guilty of stupidity. Both Jane Levy's Rocky and Dylan Minnette's Alex had some outstanding moments in the dark. 

Fede Alvarez directed. He also directed the Evil Dead reboot. I like this a lot more than Evil Dead. He shoots Dirty Detroit, Michigan like a pro. All of the shots are well filmed, and the movie is edited near flawlessly. The dialogue is minimum, but the script is tight. 

Don't Breathe is very brutal at times. It doesn't rely on jump scares. It scares the audience with pure real terror. What you see, could happen. This is smart horror at its most intelligent. Seeing on a loud big screen helps, and I do hope I still enjoy on a home video rewatch. Yes, this is the real deal. Go see today!!

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