Richie’s Review: Don’t Breathe

Don’t Breathe is the new horror-thriller movie that just came August 25th,  and it’s been topping the charts for the past week. The movie is about 3 young adults who break into houses and steal money so they could leave their lives in Detroit. After one of them isn’t happy with the amount of money they received after a recent break-in, a man suggests that he robs a blind man who’s sitting on holy amounts of money. Once the three decide to finally rob the house, the blind man wakes up and one of the most enthralling chases begins in the his house.

Right off the bat, I would like to say that I loved this movie. It felt so good to see a movie that cares about the audience and shows them what they want to see. The thing I loved most is how the audio was edited and mixed to give off the impression that we are in the blind man’s perspective.You could hear every crack from the ground, every step they make, and scratch made throughout the house. Not only are the visuals striking, feeling as if you are in a stranger’s home in the middle of the night, with the lights being off and how the shadows are portrayed. But it backs it up with audio just as chilling as the visuals.

Another aspect I loved was the “villain”, played by Stephen Lang, chasing the group. He was a believable yet ruthless character that stopped at nothing to get what he wanted. His voice sounded evil and unused for how deep it was. It was like an old-man mixed with Bane from The Dark Knight Rises. It was also the first time I’ve seen a blind antagonist on screen, so it felt refreshing to see a frightening and original character back in a horror movie.

There were not many problems that I faced with my viewing of Don’t Breathe, except for some characters. For example the character, Money, played by Daniel Zovatto was a character that I wasn’t to fond of. He plays a cliche ghetto guy that talks with a slang and is douchey for no reason. Other than that, I was satisfied with everyone in the film.

Overall I was extremely impressed with the movie. The visuals put a chill to the bone, the audio was on a whole other level, the pace was aggressive with something happening every turn of a corner, the story was compelling and while keeping you tense through the whole viewing. I definitely recommend Don’t Breathe, if you’re a fan of intensity and impressive film-making.