Don't Breathe: "Now You See What I See"

Director: Fede Alvarez
Writer:     Fede Alvarez
                Royo Sayagues 
Starring: Jane Levy
                Dylan Minnette
                Daniel Zovatto
                Franciska Torocsik
                Stephen Lang
Rating:    ****

Release Date: Out Now 

When I first saw the trailer for Don't Breathe, only a few weeks ago, the feeling of excitement for what looked like an amazing horror film was palpable. I even messaged my friends straight away telling them we had to watch it. Now that I have finally seen it, I can officially say that it did not disappoint. It has horror classic written all over it, and will go down in history as a game changer, just like The Exorcist, Scream and The Blair Witch Project did before it.

Jane Levy

Rocky (Levy), who dreams of starting a new life far away from where she is with her sister, agrees to rob the house of a wealthy blind man  with her boyfriend Money (Zovatto) and their friend Alex (Minnette). Unfortunately for them, this blind man (Lang) turns out to be a far more switched on and prepared victim than they had ever suspected. The group is forced to use all of their wits as they try and escape his house, before they become victims at his hands.

Director Fede Alvarez has studied and perfected the art of tension building by the looks of things because he has nailed it. It is quite often in a horror/thriller that there will be a large cast in a big environment, with a death a minute kind pf approach. However Don't Breathe focuses on a minimal concept; not too much dialogue, an extremely small cast and a small and claustrophobic location. He relies on very few jump scares, and rather builds the tension to such heights that the audience begin to freak themselves out as they sit on the edge of their seat.

The small cast really help to keep the energy up and do all they can to keep the viewers engaged throughout. You start the film disliking the three anti-heroes, but thanks to the real performances, clever writing and some pretty wicked twists, you are soon on their side and willing them to get out alive.

Dylan Minnette & Stephen Lang

This genre, which I love dearly, clearly means a lot to Alavarez as well as there are many nods to horrors past. Whether it is Cujo the evil dog, or a subtle Silence of the Lambs-esque scene in the darkness; the nods are there and there from an affectionate place. 

There is one plot twist that will be and has been quite divisive between fan and reviewers; and I myself don't know how I feel about it. It didn't need to be there, but nor does it ruin the movie. It is something I don't want to spoil for readers; but when you see it, I'm sure you'll understand. Overall though, no movie has scared me like this film and had such an impact on the genre since the original Paranormal Activity; and for that reason alone, Don't Breathe is worth a watch.

 Don't Breathe - Trailer