Crime Never Pays

Rating: 8/10 (10 September 2016)

In Detroit, Michigan three burglars are looking for the next big score. Rocky(Jane Levy), Alex(Dylan Minnette), and Money(Daniel Zovatto), are mostly small time burglars. They are usually successful, they are quick, and they mostly do a grab and go operation. Most of the homes are protected by a security system, that Alex's father works for. Alex is able to get the spare key to any home. Alex breaks in, and disarms the system before authorities are called.
When Money hears about a new job from his boss he is all in and gets the others to join him. This is a step up from their usual jobs. The house is owned by a retired Iraq war vet. He is the last one on the block, and the area is a ghost town. To the crew this is a gold mine of a job; because the man won a huge wrongful death settlement. His daughter was hit and killed by a driver who was later acquitted of all charges. She got off because she comes from a wealthy family.
When the three show up in the neighborhood, they think it will be easy. Money says to them no people, no 5-0 to deal with. The three survey the house and get the crap scared out of them by the mans dog. When Rocky notices the man(Stephen Lang) is blind, Rocky and especially Alex start to have second thoughts. Money on the other hand is the leader, so the others follow him. At first it looks like it might be an easy job for them. When they get in the house, what looks like a cake walk eventually becomes a fight for survival. When Rocky and Alex discover Money brought a piece with him; they both freak. Alex warns him of the consequences if they get caught, bigger charges and a bigger prison term. The blind man gets awakened when Money enters his room, a very scary situation. Money starts to back up, but it's too late. The man even though he lost his sight in Iraq, has developed his other senses well. He knows every inch of his home, hears every creak; and can sense if someone else is in a room. When things begin to go wrong, Money is the first one to get killed by the man. Due to his overconfidence and big mouth he gets shot by the blind man.
The other two Rocky and Alex hide fearing they are next. When Rocky hides in the closet she texts Alex. Rocky also find the safe where the money is kept, and finds out the combo; when the man comes into the closet. The texts go back and forth; when they both find each other they decide it's time to get the money and split. They try to escape through the basement, only to find a shocking surprise. The woman who hit his daughter is chained up down there. Cindy(Franciska Tordesik) was kidnapped by the blind man. When Rocky and Alex free Cindy they decide to take her with them. The three think they are home free, when they reach the cellar door. When they open it they are confronted by the blind man. He opens fire thinking he got the robbers, but kills Cindy instead. He freaks out, and is very upset when he finds out Cindy was the one he killed. Now it's Alex and Rocky, they have to find a way to fight this psychopath in order to survive. It continues to be a cat and mouse game. When Rocky wakes up to find herself chained up in the basement she freaks. The blind man reason for this, is so Rocky can be a surrogate mother. He wants a child again, thinking this will make him whole. That's why he was distraught when he killed Cindy. She was pregnant with his child. Now Rocky has taken her place, he promises her she will be able to leave after nine months when the baby is born, like he promised Cindy. When he begins to impregnate her artificially, it backfires. Rocky gets free and gets him back, only to find out Alex was killed. She is the only one of the group to survive this hell.
At the end she makes good on her promise to leave Detroit for California. She is at the bus station with her daughter when a news break comes on. There is coverage about the B&E she was involved in. When she notices the coverage the blind man has survived; and the reporters are making him out to be some kind of hero. Saying he fought for his life, killed the intruders, E.T.C .. This movie gives new hope for today's horror films. Stephen Lang is great as The Blind Man. He is really great at being an antagonistic character. I loved him as the evil brother in Fire Down Below, face it the guy can act. Don't Breathe is a creepy movie that is full of jumps and scares. Unlike many horror films this one lives up to the hype; and deserves the four star rating it got. I highly recommend it, you will definitely get your moneys worth in this little gem.
Thanks, Kris L. CocKayne