Airtight Plot

Rating: 9/10 (23 November 2016)

The ironic twist in the movie "Don't Breathe" is how it fails as a horror film but still makes the same dramatic impact as "The Silence of the Lambs." Director Fede Alveraz, who also co-wrote the script, brings a new villain to the screen. Steven Lang (Avatar) plays a blind, military veteran who lives alone in an old, decrepit home and like Hannibal Lecter, has no regard for human life. The vet also has a horrifying secret in his basement which three young thieves (Jane Levy, Dylan Minnette, and Daniel Zovatto) stumble upon while trying to steal the old man's hush money. Although there is enough blood, ghastly shed, by the vengeful, ex-military man, the plot is so well written that our interest shifts away from the gore to the intriguing story and the chills running up and down our spine disappear. The IMDb rating seems spot on but in my books, this movie deserves critical acclaim; I give it 9 out of 10.