I am hearing reports of three burglars breaking into the home of a defenceless blind man. This sounds like something that must be investigated.
Who:
Director: Fede Alvarez
Starring: Stephen Lang, Jane Levy, Dylan Minnette, Daniel Zovatto
What:
Crime Thriller
Why:
An original script
When:
Released 2016
Where:
Set in a rundown suburb of Detroit
Fede Alvarez was responsible for the, not particularly terrible but not particularly great, remake of Evil Dead released in 2013. This was a valiant attempt at updating a true horror classic; but also one where people were asking why this is needed. While I thought it was alright I did feel that Alvarez had missed the most important aspect of the original and that was in retaining the humour to go along with the horror. For a directorial debut though, it was a solid effort.
Sam Raimi helped produce that remake. He must have been suitably impressed as he returns as one of Alvarez's producers on Don't Breathe. To me that is a sign of true faith when someone with the reputation of Raimi is keen to help further the career of this young director.
Alvarez once again shares scriptwriting duties with Rodo Sayagues as they did on Evil Dead. They have produced something that is a bit different for a genre that is used too many ideas being recycled. The home invasion theme might be something that has been done before but this has enough fresh concepts to plant its own originality.
Jane Levy could be considered a muse for Alvarez after her lead appearance in Evil Dead. Once again she plays the central character of Rocky; who along with Dylan Minnette's Alex; and Daniel Zovatto's Money, form the trio of burglars. They use information gathered from Alex's father's security company to help them plan and break into homes that contain items of wealth.
Acting on some of this information they target the home of a war veteran who became blind on active duty. He is said to be stashing $300,000 in his home; compensation he received after the death of his daughter in a motor accident.
Using an abandoned Detroit neighbourhood for the setting is an inspired choice. It allows the characters to make all the noise they wish; without the chance of a pesky neighbour sticking their nose where it wouldn't be welcome.
The Blind Man is a particularly intriguing character. He appears both frail and capable at the same time. His unshaven face and haggard looks belie the abilities that he is still able to bring to the fore from his muscular frame. The eyesight might have left him but his overall strength is still there when needed.
Alvarez has created a memorable fighter in the Blind Man and I hope he isn't ruined in future sequels by becoming a one note character. At the moment he is someone in the grey area: not all bad but definitely not all good. It would be a terrible shame to make him a wholly black hearted person.
I am at pains to not call him a villain or antagonist. In much the same way I would not call Rocky the hero or protagonist. Either one could equally switch labels. The film does a decent job of giving both the Blind Man and Rocky different aspects to their persona that pigeon holing them in one category would be a great disservice.
At different points you find yourself rooting for each of them to win through in the end. Personally I was more on the side of the Blind Man but I can fully appreciate how someone would also be cheering for Rocky. This in itself is one of the major plus points of the film; you can debate rightly and wrongly for who exactly you would prefer to survive the ordeal.
The film score is eerily creepy and fits the tone well. It doesn't rely on dramatic crescendos for when you are meant to jump; instead it goes along at a steady pace, instilling dread in the viewer as the movie progresses. That isn't to say that there aren't moments where the music lifts up to hit the high notes; as it certainly does but it is used sparingly. There are so many horror films that require the music to help the impact of the scare that it was refreshing to have a score compliment the scene rather than embellish it.
A common trope in horror, especially these days, is to rely more on jump scares to get the reaction from your audience than utilising any other form of scare to create dread. Don't Breathe has a few but it isn't a one trick pony. Alvarez uses the location to great effect to raise the tension in the viewer. The way the Blind Man appears from the shadows or is revealed during the shot is excellent at raising the pulse. They are simple methods but work wonderfully well in making this man appear as menacing as can be.
The one star of the show I have failed to mention is the Blind Man's pet Rottweiler. This dog is truly terrifying in the best tradition of Cujo and he is probably an homage to that movie too. Some of the best scares come from this animal. The car scene is definitely one that will have you squirming in your seat.
For a small cast; a simple premise; filmed on mostly a single set and having an eerily written and tight script; this film is definitely worthy of attention. It isn't perfect by any means but it achieves its aim and that isn't something that can be directed at a lot of horror films.
The one major hurdle this film has going against it; is how do you make three burglars sympathetic? These guys are breaking into people's homes and making off with their goods to raise cash to make a better life for one another. At the same time they are hurting the families whose homes they are raiding; maybe not physically but definitely emotionally.
I found it very hard to want any of them to survive; especially Money who is the most despicable of the three. You get a clear indication of his character in the opening robbery the gang perform; as he is the only one causing any kind of destruction. He is irredeemable in every way and I wanted him to get his just deserts sooner rather than later.
There is very little character development for any of the four players. At a running time of eighty-eight minutes that is understandable. No one wants to see half an hour of back story when the main aim of the game is to scare the pants off you! What little there is though I found to be a bit heavy handed.
Alex is shown as someone who does question the morality of what they are doing but still goes along with it anyway. This makes little sense as he is using his father's company to gather the details of each home they break into. If he was so conflicted about what they were doing then he wouldn't need to act on this information to begin with.
The script does its best to paint Rocky in a good light by including a scene showing her home life and what a terrible mother she has. There is also the added responsibility she feels towards her younger sister and the hope she has of providing her with a better life. It is a vain attempt to rally some to her cause by playing on your emotional heart strings. She seems like a smart girl though; I am sure there are other ways she could have achieved her aims without resorting to breaking and entering.
Overall these characters were a problem for me. I disliked Money from the first scene; I found Alex to be unrealistic and Rocky too switched on to be hanging out with these two losers. So how would I find the Blind Man in comparison?
Well at first I wanted him to kill them all, but then you find out more about his agenda; then it becomes a little more unclear. Without wanting to give too much away I didn't like what was going on with him in the basement. It made him just as unlikeable as the trio of robbers. His one saving grace was that the circumstances that had occurred in his life had driven him to this course of action. It may not excuse his behaviour but it does give him motive which played an important factor in making my mind up.
By the end, after some toing and froing, I did find myself wanting the Blind Man to come out on top. After all these three people had come to rob someone who they thought was an easy target. When opportunity presents itself for them to leave early on in proceedings the lure of the cash still prevails. Their motive outweighed their instinct for survival. That choice helped galvanise my opinion.
The one horror trope that does prevail is what I like to term 'Horror Strength'. It is when a person suffers an injury so severe it would normally cripple a regular human being; but somehow they find the strength and will to carry on. This happens to more than one character and while it annoyed me, it didn't have as much impact as it normally would on my overall enjoyment of the film.
The Blind Man did have an uncharacteristic ability to move around his home extremely quickly when the script required him too. On more than one occasion he would appear in a location that made me think how did he get there so soon? It might not have been a supernatural ability but it did seem an unnatural occurrence.
I would have preferred a different ending to the one we got. I am not going to spoil it at all; but it is obvious why it ended the way it did: it leaves things open for possible sequels. I would have preferred to have either had some clearer closure; or better yet, I would have closed off with the Blind Man and Rocky in the basement. I will assume you will get what I mean when you see the scene. Now in my opinion that would have given you an "Oh shit!" moment and it keeps it open for a potential follow up.
Verdict:
It is very difficult to allow these three delinquents and an old man of such dubious nature off with a warning; but I feel it has to be done. Be aware Fede Alvarez, I will be monitoring your future output with great intrigue.
Evidence:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don't_Breathe
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt4160708/
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