https://www.theodysseyonline.com/stop-remaking-80s-horrorWhen I heard that Fede Alvarez, director of the 2013 remake “Evil Dead”, was releasing a new movie, I was conflicted. I was excited, of course. Somehow this dude had directed a remake that was not only immensely enjoyable, but somehow managed to stand on its own outside of the franchise that inspired it—two things that most horror remakes fail miserably at attempting. But I was also somewhat dreading “Don’t Breathe.” Maybe it was just a summer of blockbuster disappointment, or maybe it was the recent string of horror movies promising scares and delivering nothing ("Conjuring 2", I’m looking at you). But I’m glad to say that my fears were unfounded. “Don’t Breathe” is one of the best horror films that I’ve seen in a long while.
The premise is simple: three teenage burglars, Rocky (Jane Levy), Alex (Dylan Minnette), and Money (Daniel Zovatto), break into the home of an old blind veteran (Stephen Lang) who reportedly has over $300,000 in cash stashed somewhere on the premises. However, the tables are quickly turned, and what was meant to be a quick cash grab soon turns into a night full of terror. That’s the story that was sold to us in the (fucking amazing) trailers, but as any horror fan knows, horror movies like to showcase their scariest bits in the trailer, and then present you forty minutes of exposition and maybe 30 minutes of actual scares.
But let me tell you-- “Don’t Breathe” delivers. It gives a speedy and satisfying introduction of its protagonists, and then locks them in a death trap for the next hour and a half. Just as promised! But wait…what’s so scary about though? The guy must have been The Collector in his prime right? His house is full of cruel and unusual booby traps. And people die in horrifying ways. That’s what makes this movie scary correct?
Nah. It’s mostly an old dude chasing teenagers around with a gun. But if there ever was a movie that knew how to play up its audience’s anxiety, goddamn, it’s this movie.
Fede Alvarez and co-writer Rodo Sayagues (who also co-wrote 2013’s “Evil Dead”) deliver a heart-stopping, fast-paced thriller that does not let you relax for one minute. But instead of relying on jump scares (though there are a couple of those) and creative deaths, Alvarez instead focuses on making the familiar terrifying. The movie makes the most of its enclosed space, transforming the house into a claustrophobic maze with unknown twist and turns. Every move, every decision made by the film’s protagonists treads the line between life and death for them—and I’m not just saying that. And though there is very little gore, the invasive and calculated violence is more than enough to keep you at the edge of your seat.
Of course, films with the “cat and mouse” plot are not new. And the concept of a safe space becoming a danger zone has also been played with before in movies like “Hush” and “The Strangers”. But it works, because “Don’t Breathe” excels at one thing specifically that many other horror films fail: the audience cares about the protagonists.
While watching “Don’t Breathe” I heard the audience cheer not only once but twice—and both times for the triumphs of the lead characters. I’ll be honest when I say that I’ve never heard anyone cheer for the protagonists before in a horror movie. Last time I heard an audience clap it out, it was at a screening of “Evil Dead” (2013) and it was while a character was being shot by a nailgun. Usually cheering is directed towards the antagonist. But not in this film.
You want them to get out. You want them to survive. All in spite of the characters’ questionable choices and reasoning—or maybe because of them. Jane Levy and Dylan Minnette give an excellent performance as they struggle to keep quiet and evade the wrath of Stephen Lang’s deadly character. And even the most idiotic of their choices has a clear line of logic behind them, rather than obviously a result of plot convenience.
The audience’s empathy with the thieving teenagers is in no part hindered by the calculating and seemingly unstoppable Blind Man, who viewers may at first sympathize with, but not for long. The terror behind his character is cold, clinical, and clean, a rather notable departure from the blood and guts of “Evil Dead”. Stephen Lang is usually typecast as a militant authority figure, and he uses that to his advantage in this film, creating a unique but no less intimidating villain that may just become iconic, even without a trademark mask.
Not to mention—this film is beautiful. There isn’t one shot that is wasted; the cold, confining corridors of the Blind Man’s home become all the more claustrophobic once compared with the scenic and colorful landscape of the urban setting. There are several frames that I wanted to cut out and frame. And where the cinematography was pretty, it was also terrifying—there are a couple of key sequences in the film which are guaranteed to leave the viewer reminiscent of “Silence of the Lambs” while maintaining their own brand of anxiety.
Overall, this film is worth the money you spend and the popcorn you eat. Much like “Green Room”, the movie uses a unique yet simple premise that successfully remains hits every plot twist and turn. If you’re tired of trailers lying to you, take comfort that “Don’t Breathe” not only lives up to the hype, but excels it with heart-pounding ferocity.
