Director:Â Fede Alvarez
Cast:Â Stephen Lang, Jane Levy, Dylan Minnette, Daniel Zovatto, Jane May Graves, Sergej Onopko
Rating:Â 15
Running Time:Â 88 mins
Release Date:Â September 9th, 2016
There’s been a recent influx of indie horrors/thrillers that have capitalized on having a more retro, throwback feel to them – The Guest, It Follows and recently The Witch have all been modestly budgeted and with a focus on atmosphere and tension. The Guest and It Follows both have synth heavy musical scores that make the films feel like they’re ripped straight from the 80’s, while The Witch is a slow burn lesson on dread, with a feel like the old Hammer horrors. Don’t Breathe is the latest and possibly the best of a resurgence in horror – an old school masterclass that offers intense moments of terrifying quietness that goes hand in hand with its sudden outbursts of horrifying energy, as our protagonists try to avoid the horror that awaits them. Fede Alvarez masterfully never lets the momentum down, instead cranking tension out of every single detail he can find; stray shards of glass, creaky floorboards, an angry dog with the determination and single mindedness of The Terminator – in this house of horrors everything can be used against you.
Thankfully the film wastes no time diving into its premise immediately – three thieves break into an old blind mans house looking to get away with an impressive sum of money so as to run away to California. Rocky (Jane Levy) wants to get her and her little sister out of Detroit, Money (Daniel Zovatto) just enjoys robbing people and Alex (Dylan Minnette) is the quiet, thoughtful one of the trio. But once they encounter The Blind Man (Stephen Lang), they realize he isn’t as helpless as they thought. What follows is roughly an hour and ten minutes of non-stop, edge of the seat thrills, as the group desperately search for a way out. Best known for his villainous turn in Avatar, Stephen Lang brings a terrifying physicality to his character, as well as a brutal edge that he barely suppresses with pent up rage. The trio of thieves are also well performed, with Jane Levy, who had the lead role in Alvarez’s enjoyable 2013 Evil Dead reboot, and Minnette particular stand outs. Levy is an easy to root for heroine, her natural charm and fierce attitude balanced out by Minnette’s quieter performance.
Really, the star is Alvarez’s gliding camera – as we explore the shabby house that The Blind Man inhabits, the camera creeps around every corner, remaining tightly fixed on our protagonists as they traverse its rooms but he allows enough space in the foreground that we’re constantly aware of everything behind, more so when The Blind Man has a tendency to creep up on them. Boasting a variety of nerve shredding set pieces, one particular encounter in the basement when The Blind Man turns the tables on his intruders is terrifically suspenseful. At a brisk 88 minute run time, the film doesn’t overstay its welcome, in fact half the fun is watching to see how Alvarez throws various obstacles at our protagonists and expands the situation beyond the initial premise. The film is inventive in its momentum and eagerness to make sure that everything is as intense as can be, even when that involves slightly divulging into more silly situations – although a midway twist is as uncomfortable as it is horrifying and takes a far darker turn then expected.
Don’t Breathe is an intense white knuckle roller coaster ride that never lets up. Alvarez keeps the scares going while never once letting up the suffocating atmosphere that punctuates every scene. Aided by terrific performances from Jane Levy and Stephen Lang, Don’t Breathe is the years best horror film so far.
Verdict
