Review: DON'T BREATHE

Claustrophobic. Could Have Been Brilliant.

2.5 stars

Mini Review:

What looks like an ordinary break-in for the purpose of robbery goes horribly wrong when the three young thieves discover that the owner of the house is actually in the house. It is shot beautifully (in a best possible version of the word ‘claustrophobic’) and yet the story turns into some episode of Law & Order Special Victims Unit or like 10 Cloverfield Lane… Been there, seen that.

Main Review:

Remember Blind Fury? Rutger Hauer is a blind Vietnam vet who has amazing sword-fighting skills? Apparently the three young people in this movie, who have made breaking and entering their way of life hadn’t. Or they would have left the blind man alone.

Inner cities are dying, and people have abandoned their homes and businesses and moved on. In such a world the young people have only one ambition: to make as much money by any possible means and get out of town.

Writer director Fede Alvarez comes into this film after Evil Dead and manages to keep you glued to your seat with this perfectly titled film. In fact, there are times when you want to warn the kids trapped inside the house to not breathe so loudly.

The camerawork is so good, you begin to know every corner, every wall and every door of the house. You want to whisper to the kids, ‘No! Don’t go in there!’ You don’t like that the kids are crooks, trying to steal from a blind man. But you don’t know when your righteous anger against kids who steal turns into fearing for their lives.

Stephen Lang has done such a good job as the blind man, you don’t know whether to hate him or love him for defending his home.

The only complaint? The story should have been stronger. Because you’ve seen it before. That does take away from what could have been a brilliant film. What we do have is something that will make you go, ‘Don’t breathe, don’t breathe so loud’...