Review: Don't Breathe

A tense home invasion thriller that mines its suspense from suffocated spaces and stifled silences, Don't Breathe cements director Fede Alvarez's deft and canny handling of the visual and tonal aspects of the genre if not a less superficial regard for character and motivation.

Of course, character and motivation are secondary concerns when it comes to thrillers or horror films, neither of which engender much post-analysis, but they do enhance the audience's emotional investment in the fates of the leading characters. To that end, Don't Breathe is a near-miss since almost all of its characters are barely one-dimensional, though Jane Levy and Stephen Lang are enigmatic enough presences to overcome this deficiency.

Alvarez establishes the set-up with efficient economy. Levy is Rocky, a young mother hoping to raise enough funds to get herself and her young daughter a better life elsewhere. She and her loser boyfriend Money (Daniel Zovatto) have been breaking and entering into houses in suburban Detroit (most of the film was shot in Hungary) with the help of Alex (Dylan Minnette), who provides them with the keys from his father's security company so they can gain easier access. Alex, who has an unrequited crush on Rocky, is also the relative voice of reason - he's highly reluctant when Money announces their next target: a blind military veteran (Lang) who received a six-figure settlement after his daughter was killed in a car accident.

It should all be so simple, but the trio soon discover that breaking in is easier than getting out. The blind man turns out to be hiding something arguably far more precious than cash, and he is relentless in his efforts to protect his secret. Alvarez tightens the reins here, often dropping the sound altogether as the intruders desperately fumble through the darkness in hopes of finding a way out. The house itself appears to expand and constrict. Various members of the trio often find themselves within inches of the blind man, terrifying moments that take the breath away.

Levy, who also appeared in Alvarez's 2013 remake of Evil Dead, makes for a gritty and resourceful heroine but it's the brawny Lang who dominates the film with his chillingly quiet menace. Both nearly sell the third-act twist, which some viewers may find out of bounds whilst others might delight in its psychosexual perversity.

Don't Breathe

Directed by: Fede Alvarez

Written by: Fede Alvarez, Rodo Sayagues

Starring: Jane Levy, Stephen Lang, Dylan Minnette, Daniel Zovatto