Don’t Breathe

Three seasoned burglars attempt to rob a blind man of $300,000 he received as a settlement for the death of his daughter. Once inside, they realize the old man is hiding more than just his money.

The genre of the movie says “horror,” but the only thing horror in it were the thinly-written teens. The characters all came off as entitled and had the most cliched backgrounds imaginable. The blind, old man was the only character with real depth. The old man gives viewers a chilling performance as he stands between the kids and their cash.

Stereotypes are clear as we meet each character. Rocky’s (Jane Levy) character plays what some may call “your typical white trash girl” who wants a way out of Detroit to make a better life for herself and younger sister. Money (Daniel Zovatto) is your average “wankster” who wants to make lots of money and retire as a wealthy street urchin. Alex (Dylan Minette) is your average “nice guy” who wants nothing more than to please Rocky. It is this desire that gets the disad-vantaged youth in a world of trouble.

“Crime thriller” is an appropriate genre for the flick because viewers witness heart pumping thrills from the opening scene to the final credits. Keep your wits about as you watch the movie, and remember: don’t breathe.

Robbing people is easy when Alex has access to all the information and house keys to potential victims, all thanks to his dad’s security company. Money tells Alex and Rocky about the old man (Steven Lang), who sits on boat loads of cash just waiting to be robbed. Conveniently enough, Alex has the keys, but not the guts. It is Rocky’s insatiable desire to get out of Detroit, and Alex’s desperate attempts to please her that put them on the path to ruin.

After watching the old man, who happens to be blind, they all figure they have it made. Their dream becomes a nightmare when they realize the blind old man is much quicker and stealthier than they are. One at a time, he hunts them down thanks to hearing and smell akin to a blood-hound. It doesn’t take long for the trio to realize they’ve stumbled into a hellish nightmare with no way out.

Director Fede Alvarez does a wonderful job of keeping the audience on the edge of their seat.Viewers are treated to an emotional roller coaster as they swing back and forth between rooting for the old man and the hapless characters. It’s hard to decide who the antagonists and protagonists are because each character plays on both sides. One minute you’re hating the kids for breaking into the old man’s house, the next, you’re not breathing because he is inches away from wringing their necks.