Fede Alvarez puts on a masterclass on how to craft a suspenseful film

Rating: 10/10 (28 August 2016)

Let's break it down, shall we?
What makes a thriller good? It's the suspense, the nail-biting, tense situations the film presents that have the audience at the edge of their seats at all times. And I can say, without a shadow of a doubt, that this film delivers just that. Whenever you feel like the scene is over, and that you have some breathing room, BOOM! Fede drops the characters in a much worse predicament, with the excellent and diverse score by Roque Baños pounding in the background. The score of the film elevates each scene and as the film progresses, the movie raises the bar and ups the ante with each passing moment. Once the characters enter the house, the film always has you in a vice grip and never lets go. It makes you feel what the characters are feeling; their dread, their helplessness; and that is a testament to how great a director, Fede is.
Let's move on to the actors. So the main cast consists of Stephen Lang, Jane Levy and Dylan Minnette, and each of them nailed their role. Stephen Lang, sir, hats off to you. The man looks like a bad ass without even trying. That's just what Mr. Lang is, a bad ass. But his performance in this film was much more nuanced. You could see that he was a much more complex character. He showed vulnerability, sadness, anger, depression and hopelessness, all through facial expressions, as his role did not require extensive dialogue. He was the star of the film. But equally so was Jane Levy. Now if you're a huge fan of her, like me, you've probably seen Evil Dead and all three seasons of Suburgatory, and you already know that she's a very diverse actress. But in this film, she took her performance to another level. The dread in her eyes, the anguish, as well as the determination to do what she had to do in the film, all were portrayed so well through physical acting and body language, and the same could be said for Dylan Minette's performance. A+'s all around.
Overall, I can confidently say, this is the best film I've experienced in the cinema, this year. Give this film all the money you can. These people deserve it. Thank you to everyone involved, for this experience.