Don't Breathe Review

Viewing Don’t Breathe by Fede Alvarez was an intense experience. My partner and I suffered tension and anxiety, with strong grips almost the entire time. It’s been a while since I’ve been engaged in this way at the theater. It reminded me how I felt when my parents took me to see War of the Worlds (2005). Growing up it was a rarity to be taken to movies outside the PG rating, and to see films above that rating was well researched before going – violence/action and sci-fi were pretty much a good-to-go. Don’t Breathe doesn’t have giant alien machines destroying the world and capturing anyone in their path, but it is about an hour’s worth of the trapped-in-the-house sequence of that film, with great immersive tension; you feel as if you’re inside the house with the characters. When they hide or quickly dodge, the very good and clever filmmaking allows the viewer to feel as if they are also hiding and dodging with them while not from the use of the handheld or shaky cam style.

The film quickly reveals details about burglars, Alex (Dylan Minette), Money (Daniel Zovatto) and Rocky (Jane Levy) with even more emphasis on Rocky. Given her situation, she needs money to leave for California. Their location is Detroit, depicted as a depleting suburban city, with only a few people left. The friends break into homes and steal things with rules in place like not stealing money. If Alex gets caught, he wants the least amount of punishment possible. Rocky’s boyfriend, Money, receives a tip about a gulf-war veteran (Stephen Lang) who has $300,000 somewhere in his home from a settlement involving the killing of his daughter. And is blind. And lives in a deserted neighborhood. And cops never patrol it. Should be easy for these burglars, but no. Like the ubiquitous ancient adage, thou don’t trusteth that which soundeth too good to be true, as these characters will see this robbery will be their most difficult one. One of the most effective sequences involves the war veteran “catching” the perpetrators, but since he cannot see them is unable to fully guarantee their presence, or how many of them there are. Later in the film the situation will be turned where everyone is unable to see. As the film progresses, the intensity is raised as more doors and windows are locked and hope is being lost.

Sequences like these make it a shame to report that the film missteps with a very poor and gross plot twist for shock that ruins the brooding character and turns him into a stupid villain – practically ruins the film. Motives were clear, and there’s nothing wrong with the wrong-place-at-the-wrong-time ploy. Time and tested, it works. Everyone can relate with going too far and being where they shouldn't. And it’s what kept us immersed to begin with. What a shame.