Don't Breathe (2016)

[Ezen Baklattan]

Review.

Discuss.

Debate.

Celebrate.

[Jake Gittes]

Between the running chainsaw in Evil Dead and the turkey baster full of semen in this, I hope Jane Levy has it written into her contract that she gets to jam something as unpleasant and horrific as humanly possible into the antagonist's mouth in every movie she does.

 

Gripping and intense stuff for nearly its entire runtime. Found the resolution a bit too neat though. 

[Webslinger]

This was pretty wild. It sags a little bit at times, but for the most part, it makes the most of its intriguing concepts and the constraints of its limited setting. Director Fede Alvarez nails the presentation of a creepy atmosphere, Jane Levy is more than sympathetic enough to provide the audience with a rooting interest, and Stephen Lang is a lot of fun to watch as the blind badass. Between this film and his very underrated Evil Dead reboot, I hope that we'll get to see Alvarez dip his feet further into these genre waters; his voice and sense for how to keep his audience terrified are a welcome presence in a amid too many studio horror films that seem to value a cookie-cutter approach over true craft.

 

B+

 

Other observations:

- It's nice to see that Jane Levy actually gets to have a face after being covered in dirt, grime, and gore galore in Evil Dead.

- I would be mad at the trailers for giving away the payoff of some of the film's tensest moments, but it doesn't compare with 

Spoiler

the decision to show the blind man dragging Rocky back to the house at the very beginning of the film. It's a striking opening image, yes, but it saps tension from the scenes detailing Rocky's capture and imprisonment in the basement. We know she's going to get out, and we know that she's not going to be successful in her attempt to run away. Of course, there's no guarantee that she's getting out of there without first taking a turkey baster full of the blind man's jizz (eww), but knowing that she's going to get out of the house still provides a sense of security that somewhat undercuts the power of the scenes leading up to her escape and re-capture.

- Even though this film landed nowhere near the "How the bloody hell did this movie get an R?!" level of Evil Dead (like, seriously, what exactly did they have to cut if showing a deadite slicing her tongue open with a utility knife and forcibly "french-kissing" [for complete and utter lack of better terminology] another character made it in?), I must say that 

Spoiler

I'm kinda surprised that they got the shot of the blind man's semen (AND A STRAY PUBE!) into the movie and then shoved it into the blind man's mouth and made him (presumably) swallow it and still got the R! I saw the film with a pretty small afternoon crowd, so I can only imagine how uproariously that scene would play with a full house.

 

[somebody85]

Another awesome horror/thriller set in the eerie slums of Detroit. I really liked how complex Rocky was (which is why I enjoyed this a lot more then Green Room). Overall excellent cinematography and camera angles. It just had a few too many endings which felt like the script was spinning it's wheels. 

The last act is going to take this down for a lot of people but it wasn't impossible to me. It seemed like that guy was dealing with major PTSD and just went insane. Plus that scene where he is about to inject Rocky while she is strung up is so wonderfully acted.

I completely agree with Webslinger on that opening scene though. It took away a lot of the tension in Rocky's situation because we knew she would escape. It was just guesswork on how. (was also really surprised they got away with a man brutally punching in a womans face - remember Suicide Squad cut way less violent stuff out because it was supposed to turn critics off)

I wish they had opened it and closed it differently. I liked that we saw Rocky in the train station but seeing the news playback was unnecessary. It should have completely left the blind guy out and just showed her leaving to go to California with her daughter. Roll Credits.

The way it plays out is ominous but I don't really see how it can be given the situation. He's not going to track her down. That would be too illogical so I don't know why they added this part. Yeah we find out that she won't be wanted by the authorities regarding the money but they could shown that differently (or not at all - this is Detroit). The story is essentially over.

Like Stuckmann said it felt like an alternate ending that is usually deleted.

I didn't enjoy it as much as the Evil Dead remake but still liked it a lot. I felt it was worth seeing in theaters unlike Lights Out and I was surprised how behaved the crowd was at my midnight showing.

B+

Edited August 28, 2016 by somebody85

[filmlover]

A taut modern day spin on Wait Till Dark, Don't Breathe is a thriller that actually had me clutching my armrest for most of its relatively brief running time. It's rare you see a movie so effective released during the dog days of summer. Major props belong to the actors: Jane Levy and Dylan Minnette are sympathetic leads despite some of their questionable actions, while Stephen Lang is scary as hell as The Blind Man. B+

[RobinHood26]

Agreed with pretty much what everyone has said. 

 

Extremely well directed, some great tension and set pieces. Enjoyed all the proformances . Cinematography was wonderful, loved the oner right when they break in. Does drag a toward the end though and I can't stand it when movies open with the end just because, ruins a lot for me.

 

B+ (87)

 

[filmlover]

I will say, though, that...

 

Spoiler

The Blind Man kidnapping the girl who accidentally killed his child and holding her prisoner in his basement all bound up and getting her pregnant via a turkey baster full of his semen (wut)

 

...really stretched the line of credibility. Like, how could that have happened? lol.

[Plain Old Tele]

I'm in the solid B range. I enjoyed it a lot and agree with most of the comments here. Well-paced, I liked how the big moments were set up nicely (and often were setting up later moments as well), and I'm really happy they didn't fall back on the tired (and kinda ugly) trope of the guy rescuing the girl in sexual peril. 

 

I didn't mind the opening shot -- it was vague enough to not particularly spoil anything for me. 

[glassfairy]

What a crazy ass ride. Would recommend and would definitely watch again. I'm not sure I particularly care for the ending because I feel like everyone should have died but i'll watch the sequel anyway. A-

[Blankments]

Don't Breathe is a wonderful labyrinth of twists and turns, anchored by a strong supporting performance by Stephen Lang. Unfortunately, said twists and turns are rarely consistent to the world set up. Alvarez is clearly having fun toying with the audience but there doesn't seem to be an underlying purpose besides the attempt to disturb the audience (going way too far in the process). It's all fine, but those searching for a truly exquisite film will only find Don't Breathe to be a decent horror film. C+

[IndustriousAngel]

B+, good set, suspense and actors, but too little plot to fill a feature - this would make a terrific 45min film.

[el sid]

B+. A well-played, exciting film but if you have seen films like The Raid - where I was a nervous wreck at the end - this films gets no A anymore.
Overall a good movie with some maybe unrealistic but still interesting twists as well.

And the opening scene is really no spoiler.

 

[Napoleon]

It starts so original and surprising, but then they dropped the ball with that twist: it was unnecessary and it creates plot holes. It's still an above average horror movie in a great year for the genre, but I left the theater disappointed after how good and promising it started.

[jb007]

Well made thriller. I was absorbed throughout. The best part is that some of the plot mistakes already mentioned in the thread, do not seem to impact the enjoyment of the movie.

 

 

It ended with both deliberately keeping their criminal secrets to themselves. I wouldn't want to see a sequel though.

 

B+

 

[Maxmoser3]

Re-watched a few nights ago, very good movie! Jane Levy wasn't annoying or some "bombshell" that we see today, and her character is relatable because she wants to go away somewhere new. Money is the character who symbolizes greed and the human condition( just like his name says money). The blind guy is a fucked up villain who has some human attributes to him like losing his daughter and trying to do justice, although it was kinda twisted that he had sex with the woman who killed his daughter. Fede Alvarez has done it again after the good Evil Dead remake, and has potential in the future. Grade:B+

[Joel M]

I didn't mind the basement/turkey baster stuff. On the contrary I think they added a bizzaro edge to the movie by how ludicrous it was. The film was a very welll made and tense thriller throughout, Jane Levy is hot and really good at this kind of role. A few more of these and she'll make it to the Scream Queen Hall of Fame.

 

B+. 

[John Marston]

didn't care for it. The main characters were annoying and unlikeable. Also, if they didn't include the rape stuff in the end the blind man would be the clear good guy. And hell the main characters are still douchebags since they were robbing what they originally thought was an innocent blind man's house. And then she got away with it at the end and we are supposed to be happy?

 

4/10

[lamamama]

honestly one of the weirdest movies I've ever seen. While it starts interestingly enough with  a group of troubled leads. As soon as the action starts the movie just gets bizarre. The impregnation plot twist was literally so bad it was funny. Seriously tho the main guy there was like four different times that I swore he was dead but he just kept suddenly hopping back up. At the end when she is running off I still kind of wondered if he was gonna come back from the dead again

D-