Don't Breathe and Don't Look in the Basement: A Film Review

Director: Fede Alvarez.

Writers: Fede Alvarez and Rodo Sayagues.

Cast: Stephen Lang, Jane Levy, Dylan Minnette and Daniel Zovatto.

Fede Alvarez's Don't Breathe is still playing in theatres. Debuting with a 26 million dollar weekend, this film fan was curious to see what this Evil Dead (2013) creator had come up with, now. Don't Breathe is an exciting home invasion thriller, with the protagonists struggling to make intelligent decisions. In the film's story, three robbers hope to find some easy cash, but they find something strange in the basement, instead. This genre has become more and more prolific as real life privacy has continued to decrease, thanks to a number of sources. In the end, Don't Breathe has a compelling, character driven story to tell.

Money (Daniel Zovatto), Rocky (Jane Levy) and Alex (Dylan Minnette) are three robbers, in search of a better life. They prowl Detroit, Michigan, in search of sellable goods. Alex, the rich kid, is only motivated to be close to Rocky. Meanwhile, Money is hoping to get his girlfriend out of this apocalyptic city. Their latest target likely has 300 thousands dollars, hidden somewhere in his house. This McGuffin keeps the action moving along, quickly. Once inside, their plan goes to Hell. The darkness of the house is their worst enemy and the blind homeowner's greatest weapon. Events worsen once the robbers enter the basement.

Three robbers begin their night of terror.

This viewer noticed a couple of small character or writing mistakes. Once inside the home, the three robbers cannot escape this fortress. Most windows are barred and doors are locked. Still, the characters do not allow themselves a way out, or multiple ways out, once they find a way in. Even though they are young adults, would they not plan ahead at least a step or two? They just skulk about, waiting to be caught. In the kitchen, a window - in a door - is unbarred, or lightly secured. But, no one cares to use it. These robbers are not very sharp. In another sequence, Alex is forced outside, onto a glass window. Unconscious initially, he soon figures out his dire circumstance. Instead of reaching out for the frame of the window and escape, he just squirms about, waiting to fall back inside the home. All exits lead back inside. In later scenes, Rocky foils a vicious dog's attack a la Cujo (1983). But once she is free, she pauses, waiting to be captured again, by the Blind Man. None of these characters are very motivated to actually get the money and run!

This viewer enjoyed the surprise in the basement. None of the characters, in the film, have an honourable backstory. Most are motivated by greed; others are motivated by revenge. When the action moves into the cellar, a new character is introduced (sometimes seen in trailers). The Blind Man (Stephen Lang), is struggling with the loss of his daughter and his style of revenge is a strange one. A turkey baster sequence is one of the most disgusting scenes in recent film history. Meanwhile, this surprise character has her own harrowing tale to tell. Bad things happen in the basement and that is doubly true in Don't Breathe.

This critic has noticed a surge in the amount of home invasion thrillers, being produced. From Adam Schindler's Intruders (2015) to Mike Flanagan's Hush (2016), homes are rarely a refuge in film. Instead, they are assaulted by all sorts of ilk, from serial killers to looters. Outside of film, George Orwell's 1984 is coming to fruition. The NSA utilizes Prism to copy and scour all of your emails. Webcams can be hacked. And, cameras monitor your every move on city streets, or in retail shops. Orwell states, in his dystopic novel: "if you want to keep a secret, you must also hide it from yourself." There are no more secrets, nor private spaces any more. And, art often imitates, or at least comments on life. This is all true for Alvarez's Don't Breathe, in which a fortress can easily be invaded and a private man's (strange) life can be outed.

Don't Breathe has just released as of August 26th, in most theatres. Thriller fans are encouraged to get down to their local cinema to see this exciting outing. Original, unique stories, with something to say, are a rarity nowadays. And, writers Fede Alvarez and Rodo Sayagues have created a few surprises, with this title. The film characters are a bit on the dim side. However, these writers have kept a few, dark surprises in the basement. Shooting in one location can reduce a film's budget. Still, this film is another in the growing home invasion genre; the popularity of this genre is reflected by the reduction of real life private space. And, Don't Breathe is a thrilling film, which should be supported by your hard-earned dollars.

Overall: 7.5 out of 10.

*the kitchen door window, mentioned in the review, is actually locked from the outside (as seen above). Still, planning multiple escapes, during a robbery, would seem to be a good idea.

A look into the basement, with this trailer for Don't Breathe:

A Revealing Trailer for Don't Breathe on 28DLA

Recommended release:



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Posted in: 2016,basement,characterizations,characters,fede alvarez,home invasion,movie,movie poster,movie review,review,story,synopsis,thriller