Genre: Horror

Director: Fede Alvarez

Cast: Jane Levy, Stephen Lang, Dylan Minnette, and Daniel Zovatto

Studio: Sony

Runtime: 86 Minutes

Release: In Theaters August 26, 2016

Rated: R

Rating ★★★★★

Don’t Breathe, written and directed by Fede Alvarez, is about three young thieves, Alex (Dylan Minnette), Rocky (Jane Levy), and Money (Daniel Zovatto), who decide to rob an elderly blind man (Stephen Lang). After breaking into the man’s house, they quickly learn the heist isn’t going to go as smoothly as they thought.

I won’t say anything else about the plot because that’s really all you need to know. Don’t Breathe is one of those films where the less you know about it, the better experience you’ll have. That experience being a terror filled ride that will have you sitting on the edge of your seat from beginning to end.

Alvarez became known in the horror movie scene after his 2013 reboot of Evil Dead, which I am a huge fan of. I’ve been waiting patiently for his directorial follow-up and as soon as I learned about Don’t Breathe, I had to see it. And boy, it does not disappoint at all.

Rocky and Alex find something shocking.

Alvarez has proved himself a master of suspense with Don’t Breathe. After a brief set-up and introduction to the characters, the fear instantly starts to seep in. This isn’t a scare fest where the frights come from loud noises appearing out of nowhere. Instead, the shocks come from the tension that keeps rising and rising to the point where you begin to feel uncomfortable but can’t look away. You never truly feel safe and even when you think you know where Don’t Breathe is heading, Alvarez tosses in something new that ramps up the stakes.

While not an overtly gory movie like Evil Dead, Don’t Breathe contains a few scenes of brutal violence sprinkled throughout. Each one is equally shocking due to its unexpected nature and how realistic it is. You’ll be gasping out loud on more than one occasion.

The blind man is destined to become a classic horror movie villain. He’s ruthless when it comes to dealing with the intruders. Despite being unable to see, he’s always one step ahead and moves through his house with near lightning speed. You never know where he’s going to appear or when. He’s at his most frightening in a sequence that takes place entirely in the dark. With Lang’s towering stature and fantastic acting, the blind man is a character you won’t soon forget.

Stephen Lang as the blind man.

The rest of the cast is equally good. Levy, who also starred in Evil Dead, is a stand out and proves herself to be a fantastic horror actress. When Rocky is scared, you truly believe it and actually fear for her. What’s makes this more impressive is since Alex, Rocky, and Money must keep quiet unless they want to alert the blind man, Levy sells this fear beautifully with primarily facial expressions and only few scenes of dialogue.

Minnette is equally great and works fantastically off Levy. You believe the friendship Alex and Rocky share and you want nothing more but for them to survive the night.

There are a few minor nitpicks, one being the blind man’s inconsistent hearing. In some scenes, he appears superhuman, picking up tiny noises from the other room. Then, there are other times when you wonder how he is unable to hear something that’s right next to him. But given how perfect the rest of Don’t Breathe is, this quibble can easily be overlooked.

Alex hides from the blind man.

Don’t Breathe is a must-see for horror fans. Equal parts brutal and shocking with just a dash of black humor, Don’t Breathe will have your eyes glued to the screen, hands gripping the seat, and your heart pounding. I highly recommended this film.

Photos: ©2016 Sony. All Rights Reserved