Review of Don't Breathe (2016) by Richard S — 28 Nov 2016

This is directed by the guy who directed the Evil Dead remake and produced by the fella who made the original. From the moment I saw the trailer, I knew this was a horror film that I was willing to give a chance to. Out of all the cast I only recognize the female lead, as she appeared in the directors previous work. And now writing this review I am informed she was in Shameless!! How can that be the same girl?! But she left because that is what happens when you're offered a lead in your own show.

But shameless is better, that other show was canceled.. pardon me. I got side tracked.

The movie is definitely newer territory than most recycled horror ideas. The viewer is constantly tense and that is in part due to the amazing editing. Some people might not like a movie playing that hard on their anxiety, but there is a bit of gore as well. The young actors all deliver here too, but the men don't have too much dimension. A dog enters the mix soon and you have to give kudos to the director for pulling off every scene with the animal. Used at the right moments, that pup insures they have no chance to get away once that old man locks the house.

With the audience on edge the entire time, the director take advantage of the opportunity for jump scares. It's easy to see how the film might lose people as it moves forward, as the direction becomes a bit much. There were only 3 victims though and the story may have fell flat without those extra elements continuously added in. They serve to make the old man a villain. I also must have missed that the neighborhood was abandoned (watcher error). I kept wondering why no one responded to all those gunshots, but it is Detroit. It was another good horror film by Fede Alvarez,.