Director Fede Alvarez
Genre Horror | Thriller
Cast Daniel Zovatto, Dylan Minnette, Jane Levy, Stephen Lang
Rating R
Release Date August 26th, 2016
“A trio of reckless thieves breaks into the house of a wealthy blind man, thinking they’ll get away with the perfect heist. They’re wrong.”
Don’t Breathe is an original thriller directed and co-written by Fede Alvarez, the man behind 2013’s Evil Dead. Originally called A Man in the Dark, the title Don’t Breathe wasn’t announced until its premiere at the SXSW film festival in 2016. The film stars Stephen Lang, Jane Levy, Dylan Minnette, and Daniel Zovatto.
Don’t Breathe is a tense white-knuckle thriller that will surely satisfy genre fans and anyone seeking a unique premise with an edge. After first viewing the trailer I categorized the film as sharing similarities with the Netflix original film Hush. Instead of a deaf girl living in the woods as the victim who proves to be much more resourceful than expected, Don’t Breathe introduces the audience to a blind military vet who starts as a victim and quickly develops into much, much more. The film is well-written and expertly acted, delivering a dark and gritty environment as immersive as it is unpredictable. The film’s biggest fault in my opinion is the overall believability of the premise, but at the end of the day, who can honestly disprove whether or not the events that unfold could actually take place? Granted the story is fiction, and is far from claiming that it is based on actual events, but still the strength and effectiveness of the film very well may live and die by the viewers ability to buy in. Far-fetched or not, I was certainly on the edge of my seat.
As I mentioned previously, Don’t Breathe benefits from top-notch acting that deserves to be recognized. We are first introduced to the characters played by Jane Levy (Shameless, Evil Dead) and Dylan Minnette (Prisoners, Goosebumps), and both plays their respective roles quite well. Levy and Minnette are tasked with playing characters with a fair amount of backstory, especially Levy, and they deliver believable and chemistry-driven performances. On the other end of the spectrum, veteran actor Stephen Lang delivers a chillingly effective performance as the blind man seemingly protecting his home and his belongings. Levy’s character quickly sheds its skin and reveals a dark side, made believable by his talent as an actor and ability to truly immerse himself into a role. With over 113 acting credits to his resume according to IMDb, Lang is most memorable to me for his role in 2009’s blockbuster film, Avatar. His role as Colonel Miles Quaritch really set the tone for the film and added a level of balance to the high-level CGI the film employed. Lang’s IMDb page shows that he is in pre-production for Avatar 2, 3, and 4, set to release in 2018, 2020, and 2022. Titanic director James Cameron loves his money.
Don’t Breathe accomplishes many things, most of which is the films ability to feel fresh and unique among a variety of disappointing 2016 releases. Although it really isn’t a horror film, it will still appeal to fans of the struggling genre. Regardless of the predisposed notions you may or may not have, Don’t Breathe brings enough to the table to warrant a trip to the theater and maybe even a Blu-ray purchase down the road. Recommended.
