Don't Breathe

There come moments in life when you are forced to make an important choice. Like should I rob the blind war veteran’s house while he is home? The answer to that is usually going to be a firm no. “Don’t Breathe” follows three young hoodlums who pick the wrong victim in their attempt to get rich quick. Living in economic squalor, the film makers chose a dying neighborhood in Detroit as the setting, and it definitely helps to set the mood of isolation.

As a fan of vigilante justice, I was giddy after hearing about the premise of this film. Yes! Victim’s revenge is gratifying when you hate home invasions as much as I do. I would have to classify this as more of a thriller than a horror movie though; the distinction being that horror generally would be somewhat (or entirely) implausible. Thrillers are sometimes more frightening than horror because you could see yourself in the situation, but most films in the genre fall apart when they try to fabricate tension and delve into the realm of unlikely. “Don’t Breathe” toes that line nicely for most of the movie. It falls over the line during the third act, and a plot twist destroys credibility, losing the beautiful momentum it had slowly built to that point.

What works very well is that through the first two acts, Stephen Lang’s (“Avatar”) blind man is larger than life. He consumes all of the attention in any scene he is in. He is an elderly man, physically imposing, and plays visually impaired and helpless extremely well. His brief back story is not overly elaborate, but satisfactory in placing him in the mix. But what he excels at is that his character changes right before our eyes over the course of the ninety minutes, and I only wish he was given more lines, his low, gravelly voice is haunting.

The three criminals (Jane Levy, Dylan Minnette, and Daniel Zovatto) have bland personalities and back stories, and their archetypes are so typical that it’s a bit embarrassing. What is supposed to be a scare-fest loses some of its crucial emotional appeal by portraying just about everyone in an unflattering light. What I just couldn’t get on board with was figuring out who to root for. Do I root for the criminals, or the victim? Depraved all around, I just didn’t feel the visceral connection to any of the characters, which severely diminished the return on my anticipation. I suppose that as the film progresses there is supposed to be a shift in allegiance, but I found myself a vacant bystander.

Written and directed by Fede Alvarez (2013’s “Evil Dead”), what it lacks in creativity, it makes up for in execution. Creaking floorboards, little or no music, lots of great jump-worthy moments, and utter simplicity are the foundations of any good thriller. Although it goes a bit off the rails near the end, probably aiming for that epic climax, I was impressed at the camera work and way that Alvarez induced a sense of claustrophobia in the cramped house.

What failed to impress me was the use of a Rottweiler in an attempt to close loops and stretch the chase. It is sloppy writing, and come on, who is actually scared of dogs? Just smack it on the nose and scratch its belly. At the conclusion of “Don’t Breathe”, I did find myself a bit sore from being tensed up for over an hour, so that’s a sign of captivating entertainment. Kudos to Alvarez and Lang for that. If you can handle a bit of moral ambiguity and are a fan of thrillers, you might get a thrill out of “Don’t Breathe”, but if not, don’t bother. I was really hoping for better. 5/10.