An intelligent nail-biter.

Rating: 8/10 (8 September 2016)

Receiving rave reviews from film-festival goers and critics alike, it doesn't take long to see why this under-the-radar horror-thriller has been amassing quite the fan base. Operating squarely within genre conventions, but at an extremely proficient level, this house-invasion flick builds tension masterfully. There are jump scares to be sure, however they're pulled off in a manner that isn't cheap thanks to their strategic placement. When our three young burglars break into a blind man's house during the night, it's not at all evident which route this movie is going to take. This base level of suspense is then escalated through a set of unpredictable twists and turns, cleverly playing with the audience's expectations. The violence is sparingly utilised and all the more effective for it, filmmaker Fede Alvarez (Evil Dead remake) wisely selecting to amp up the thrills with nerve-wracking anticipation rather than blood-splattering gore or unrelenting brutality. A long, Panic Room-esque one-shot tracking sequence displays Alvarez's immense talent behind the camera and his clear love of cinema, although he's also not above including one of the grossest on-screen moments in recent memory for utter shock value. The lead trio – Jane Levy, Dylan Minnette and Daniel Zovatto – are solid and likable without being completely excellent, whilst Stephen Lang manages a fine balance between being a menacing monster and a grieving father who is all too human. A couple of minor quibbles: the obtrusive score that doesn't seem to trust the sound design or visual framing to conjure up the requisite scares, and the hackneyed tropes employed in the opening act to establish the characters. Fast-paced, intelligently constructed and suitably tense, the aptly titled Don't Breathe is a nail-biting delight.