Tense thriller, let down in places

Rating: 6/10 (17 December 2019)

Don't Breathe comes across mostly as a clever low-budget thriller with a brilliant set-up which almost works but is ultimately let down by a flawed execution, The initial plot of a trio of house-breakers relying on one of their gang to obtain inside information, and equally importantly keys, to target properties is a good one. Even more so when the latest target is a blind army veteran sitting on a fortune. The drama of this main event starts off well, but the terrific scenes of suspense are undone by inexplicable inconsistencies such as rooms with all windows barred suddenly having a character thrown through one without resistance and the tired old device of a character who clearly should be .dead regaining consciousness at a convenient point. Add this to the veteran's transformation between wily tough guy to complete idiot and a movie that promised to be a 7 or 8 rating ends up a 6. Worth a watch if you can overlook the inconsistencies