Set within the decaying, abandoned neighbourhoods of Detroit, Fede Alvarez’s Don’t Breathe goes deeper by examining the decline of both family values and traditional American ideals. Following a gang of young hoodlums, at first glance they seem to be nothing but lowlife thugs. Yet, Alvarez provides enough of a back story for us to know that the female of the group, Rocky (Jane Levy – Frank and Cindy), is trapped in a single parent home with a mother (and her boyfriend) that is less than motherly. Stuck between a rock and a hard place, she is more of a mom to her little sister Diddy (the wide eyed Emma Bercovici) than the drug-addled, slovenly matriarch of the ‘family’.
Despite her realization that she must escape the harsh scenario, she dates the rough, dictatorial and callous Money (Daniel Zovatto) – the leader of the criminal pack, exemplifying the deep seeded, generational issues that crop up in some families. The third wheel is Alex (Dylan Minnette), a young man who is mostly there because he harbours a major crush on Rocky (ah, the dangers of love). The group rob houses, mostly thanks to Alex, whose father runs a security company (the man is able to nab the keys and alarm codes from his pop’s computer and desk) – though they never steal money (fearing that, if they get caught, they would be given a harsher sentence).
However, it is cold hard cash that drives them forward, so when Money tracks down a lead on a Vietnam vet (Stephen Lang) who supposedly has six figures worth of dough in his abode (following a settlement), Money and Rocky convince the reluctant Alex to grab the key – as they see it as a way out of their decrepit existence.
After some initial scouting, they realize the man is blind and lives on a street that now lays derelict, sustaining no life other than for the man and his vicious, snarling dog.
They attempt to enter the blind man’s home late one night, though it is locked down in a fashion that would rival Fort Knox. Finding only one way in (a tiny, elevated window that leads into the bathroom), Money shoves a willing Rocky upward so she can break the glass.
Upon entering, Alvarez does a wonderful job filming the team inside the house, flitting between the threesome as they scout out the main floor – in one extended, unedited shot. Though they believe they have everything under control, with Money even bringing a gun for protection, things get hairy after The Blind Man, who is supposedly KO’d thanks to a gas concoction made by the gang’s leader, makes his way down the stairs to investigate the noise. Things quickly take a tense turn as The Blind Man flips the board on them – and the group become the hunted in the locked down home.
Coming off like a combination of Panic Room and a very serious, pared-down adult version of Home Alone, Alvarez utilizes the quasi-antagonist’s blindness as a way to heighten the viewing experience. Amplifying the sound and adding a marauding darkness to nearly every shot, we can almost smell the characters as they sweat it out. Placing us in the aging home along with the three criminals, we feel the stress that they do – as The Blind Man’s remaining senses are heightened and he knows his own dwelling so much better than they do. A former soldier, he is totally prepared for such an instance, with his ability to lock down the home and turn the darkness into his friend, being his two best weapons. No ordinary man would go to such lengths, so he must hold some secret within the home – but is it the cash the threesome so desperately desire?
Don’t Breathe is aptly titled, as its main goal is to make you so tense that it will actually take your breath away. Though advertised as a horror film, I would warn viewers that this falls into the thriller genre. Featuring strong performances from veteran character actor Lang (who is ominously creepy, despite his character’s debilitating blindness) as well as a bevy of up-and-coming stars (Levy and Minnette provide intriguing personas), the story succeeds – despite the fact that none of the characters are truly protagonists. It sometimes feels like each person in the story is a type of villain. Though some of the twists are a bit predictable, it is still a worthwhile flick that contains its fair share of chilling thrills. So, check out Don’t Breathe, it is a taut film, and Alvarez bastes us until we are good and done.