Don't watch alone

Rating: 9/10 (4 September 2016)

Director Fede Alvarez demonstrated some potent skills in 2013 remake of Sam Raimi's classic 'Evil Dead', showing an solid balance of over-the-top gore and spine-chilling scares. Though the dark humor factor from Sam Raimi's entry was mostly absent, it not only made for an astoundingly terrifying experience from beginning to end, but fostered strong nightmarish visuals that made Sam Raimi's installment a true scare fest. This gripping thriller sees Fede Alvarez continuing his journey of brood, white-knuckle thrills with a brilliantly crafted plot and nightmarish atmosphere that is bound to leave even the bravest of the bunch leaning at the edge of their seats. While the movie isn't terribly original or groundbreaking in any sense, it knows how to deliver the scares effectively and smartly. This film follows three teenagers: Alex (played by Dylan Minnette), Rocky (played by Jane Levy), and her boyfriend Money (played by Daniel Zavotto), growing up in the poor streets of Detroit, who make money off of committing robbery hoping to make enough money to leave town and move to California. When they across an old rundown house, they not only discover it's holding of a $300,000 cash donation he received following the death of his daughter but learn the house is owned by an old blind Vietnam War veteran (played by Stephen Lang). Using his blindness as a perfect opportunity, the trio breaks in to and take a run for the money. Unfortunately, they learn the man is not as helpless as he appears and soon pitted in a violent fight for survival.
If you are someone who is easily scared in horror flicks, then you are in for a perfect treat because this one 88-minute piece almost never lets you rest easy; especially when sitting under the loud surround sound at the theaters. From the opening minutes of the robbery to the end, this film pits you in a dark, eerie atmosphere where suspense is around every corner and not limited to an ominous music score to tune up the suspense. And the scariest part is it takes almost entirely in one house, and mostly during the nighttime. The suspense is generated not through the effective lighting, but also with a powerful music score by Roque Banos. The music score is effective at capturing the sheer intensity of the scenes during the the characters' encounters with the old man. But the films is quite fair at not overlying on the ominous music to keep the suspense in tune, and thanks to Fede Alavarez's strong execution some of the scares work even without support of the heavy music. A good example lies in a scene the living room when the characters try to escape from the old man (who's blind) but must overcome the creepiness of the floorboards that disturb hearing. The man's ability of head comes to a great advantage above his lack of sight in many scenes. There's over a handful of jump scares that come when you least expect it, some of which involve a vicious dog; and plenty of scenes destined to make viewers with claustrophobia uncomfortable. From the frightening visuals and low lighting, these scenes are deeply unnerving, but definitely not without the solid performances by Dylan Minnette, Jane Levy, and Daniel Zovatto. These three are undeniably convincing in their roles and make for some interesting characters. While these characters are a bit gray in the moral compass that makes some a little hard to root for, they are always interesting and never too short of humanity. Stephen Lang is also solidly convincing, if a bit off-putting in the antagonist role. Though it doesn't have a whole lot other than a dozen lines, his portrayal of the disturbed tyrant figure is not easy to ignore.
Don't Breath is easily the best and most scary film of the year so far, and it definitely shows director Fede Alvarez at the top of his game. This film is a must-watch for all horror fans, though it's not likely to go down as a classic; but safe to say it is close enough. If you see this movie, I strongly advise you bring a friend because watching this alone will probably not be an easy ride, but that is what makes this such an effective horror film.