Don't Breathe

Plot synopsis:
Three Detroit friends, Rocky (Jane Levy), Alex (Dylan Minnette), and Money (Daniel Zovatto), break into the home of wealthy owners. After Alex disables the security system, they begin to grab the nicest-looking items they can get their hands on. When they're done, they throw a rock through the plate glass door and run.Rocky lives with her little sister Diddy (Emma Bercovici) and their abusive mother Ginger (Katia Bokor) and her boyfriend Trevor (Sergej Onopko). Rocky promises to Diddy that she will get both of them out of there so they can start a new life in California.Alex lives with his father, an active policeman, who is never home and is apparently pulling double shifts at the local police station. Alex uses his father's computer connections to look for wealthy people to rob.Money gets a tip from one of his connects about a man living in a house with more than $300,000 in cash stashed somewhere. It's been said that the man is a war veteran and that he lives alone after his daughter was killed in a car accident. Rocky is on board since this could be the last robbery they ever have to pull off, but Alex doesn't agree with the plan. He later relents when Rocky begs him, as he has a crush on her, even though she's with Money.The three stalk the man's (Stephen Lang) house (which is located in a slum neighborhood and is the only occupied house on the street since every other house is condemned) and learn that he is blind. Alex thinks it's messed up to rob a blind guy, but Money says it doesn't mean he's a saint if he's blind. The man's vicious Rottweiler dog then jumps on the car door and frightens the friends.That night, the three initiate the robbery. Alex spots a tattoo on Rocky's wrist that's new, which is of a ladybug. She explains that as a child, her father left her family and her mother blamed Rocky for it. She would cry and then get locked in the trunk. One time, a ladybug flew into the trunk and kept her company. She says she'll have it colored in California and then never mark her body again.The friends head toward the man's house. Money drugs the dog to get him to knock out, allowing them a safe entry into the house. Rocky goes in first through a small bathroom window and disables the security system. While her friends wait for her, Money taunts Alex for his crush on Rocky. She returns and opens the back door. Money goes upstairs and finds the 'Blind Man' sleeping with the TV on. The Blind Man rises and hears a noise. He just turns the TV off and goes back to sleep. Money gasses the room to ensure that the man won't hear anything.The three find a locked door that leads to the basement. They think this is where they'll find the man's stash. Money starts to break down the door, leading the Blind Man to go downstairs. Money starts talking and says he doesn't want trouble, until he decides to pull a gun out on the man. The Blind Man takes a few steps forward as Money holds the gun in his face. As he slowly gets closer, the man grabs the gun from Money's hand and pins him against the wall. The Blind Man asks Money how many of them there are in the house. Money says it's just him and he pleads for the man to let him go. The Blind Man loosens his grip, but then shoots Money in the neck and through the head. He drops Money's body to the floor, and Rocky hides in the closet. The man enters and opens a safe containing his money. Rocky sees the code (2978) as he leaves.Alex goes to find Rocky after the Blind Man starts locking up all the doors and windows. They decide that they just have to sneak in through the basement and out the cellar door that leads outside. First, Rocky opens the safe and puts all the money in her bag. They head toward the basement, but the man emerges from there. The two keep quiet as he holds Money's gun. Someone's phone goes off, and he fires a quick shot. Rocky and Alex then head downstairs as the man drags Money's body outside.In the basement, Rocky is startled by a woman (Franciska Toroscik) who's been chained up to the wall. Rocky and Alex are freaked out and almost leave her until the woman holds up a newspaper article. It reveals that her name is Cindy, and that she's the woman who accidentally killed the Blind Man's daughter, but she was acquitted. Rocky and Alex free her and carry her toward the cellar door. Unfortunately, the Blind Man is there when they open it. He fires the gun and strikes Cindy in the face, killing her. Rocky and Alex hide, and the man finds out he shot Cindy. He cries over her body and yells in rage. Alex picks up the man's keys and decides to try and make it back to the front door. As he and Rocky head back upstairs, the Blind Man turns off the lights in the basement, leaving them all in total darkness. Rocky and Alex feel around for each other as the man shoots the gun. Rocky almost touches the Blind Man until Alex calls her name. The Blind Man catches Alex and tries to shoot, but his gun is empty. Alex pushes a shelf down on him, trapping him. He and Rocky run upstairs.Alex holds the door closed with a crowbar. He and Rocky try to open the door, only to find the dog has woken up and is ready to attack them. They run from the dog and trap it in a room. Unfortunately, the Blind Man has gotten out of the basement and he attacks Alex. He punches him multiple times in the face and appears to impale him with garden shears. He then finds Rocky and knocks her out too.Rocky wakes up in the basement, chained in the same spot as Cindy. She tells the Blind Man that this won't bring his daughter back. He says that's not entirely true. He impregnated Cindy to give him a child to make up for the one she killed, and he would have let her go once she gave birth. With Cindy dead, his unborn child has died as well, and he holds Rocky accountable. He cuts open a hole in Rocky's pants and grabs a baster filled with his semen sample. He prepares to impregnate Rocky, but luckily, Alex has gotten up and grabbed a hammer. He whacks the Blind Man over the head and frees Rocky. They handcuff the man to a pole. She starts kicking the man and then stuffs the baster down his throat. They leave him alone and decide not to involve the cops since the man could easily tell the cops that Rocky and Alex broke in.The two head back upstairs to leave. They manage to open the front door, but the Blind Man has gotten up and he shoots Alex dead. Rocky makes a run for it, just as the man lets the dog out. Rocky runs back to Money's car and tries to make it in before the dog gets her, but she dropped her bag outside the car. Rocky opens the trunk to try and trap the dog in there so she can get out. Her plan works, and she goes outside to get the money, but the Blind Man comes out and knocks Rocky out again.The Blind Man drags Rocky back to his house to finish his job. A ladybug flies onto Rocky's hand, giving her a boost of confidence and hope. Rocky grabs the control to set off the security system, causing the alarm to distract the man. She grabs the crowbar and whacks the Blind Man over the head multiple times until he falls into the basement and has his gun go off, shooting him in the side. Rocky takes the money and leaves the house before the police show up.Rocky is now with Diddy at the Detroit airport, ready to start their new lives. Rocky then sees a news report on TV, stating that the Blind Man was found alive and that only two burglars were reported as breaking into his home, and that he killed both of them. Rocky becomes nervous and then takes Diddy with her, never to look back again.

Tags: revenge, suspenseful, murder, flashback

Review:
Fede Alvarez just gave Green Room a run for its money with Don't Breathe, an incredibly intense film and glorious exercise in suspense.
Other than that, Don't Breathe is best viewed going in knowing as little as possible.This is Alvarez's first film in three years since his violent and solid remake of Evil Dead, and it is with this sophomoric debut that solidifies the genre filmmaker as someone with obvious talent.
The cinematography is amazing as well as the creative sound design, so much so they are characters within the film themselves.The cast, while small, is great too, including Jane Levy, who can pretty much be titled this generation's scream queen after this and Evil Dead.
He brings a very raw, masculine physicality to his demeanour that truly makes him terrifying at times.I think this is one of the best directed horror/thriller films I have seen for some time.
When you have a thriller filled with so much tension throughout its running time, there's only so much you can do before you start yelling "you gotta be kidding me" at the screen.The cinematography was beautiful and moody and the performances were fine, except maybe Jane Levy, who I felt was too wooden, making her character a little bit unlikable.Don't Breathe was a solid effort and a great addition to the home invasion genre with a little twist..
The director of the renowned horror film "Evil Dead," brings to you a piece of excellence that will have you hold your breath throughout this morality thriller – "Don't Breathe." It is an exquisite play that plays with the audience's integrity and the will to do the right thing while conveying the story in such a way that we feel helpless and uneasy the same way that the protagonists on screen do.
The story starts off with the audience getting to know the three protagonists of the film: Rocky (Levy), her boy friend Money (Daniel Zovatto), and wanna-be boyfriend, Alex (Dylan Minnette).
The reason many horror films always feel incomplete is because they don't have a solid background story to build up to an intense climax; rather they're just a continuity of techniques to give a sense of fear to the audience.
Even though Alvarez shed a good amount of light on Rocky, and the blind man (Lang) later on, he didn't give enough insight on Alex and Money and that's to the film's disadvantage since the audience was not able to fully understand the character traits that define that specific role.
Getting back to the gist of the film, the three teenagers are sick of quickie robberies so they hope for a better job that could possibly change their future and to their luck, Money uncovered an easy gig, which is to steal a good amount of money that sits in a safe in a blind veteran's house.
The audience doesn't know.But we are treated to a bodily fluid screen shot that should have been cut from the film.Right then the movie goes into the gutter.I never seen a group of robbers talk so loud and use guns to open doors and safes in a home invasion.
This was a blind vet who had super strength and power, now the dog in the movie added some decent horror scenes but all in all, not a film my generation can relate to and enjoy.
I really don't understand where all the good reviews come from.The film is so full of plot holes and stupidity, it's just another slasher that should have gone straight to DVD release.Without giving any spoilers, I just want to say the director should have learnt a bit more about blind people before just making one up.
For instance, I read the praised reviews on Lights Out, thinking that,that movie was really gonna be good, only to watch a horrible film and waste time in doing so.
What started off as a great idea( Check out the 1967 Wait Until Dark as that was what this movie wanted to be..without the silliness) Ended up as just a mess of plot holes and silliness.Ridiculous ideas thrown in to bring tension but fell flat..a lot of the audience were laughing at the scene where he tries to ,,,trying not to spoil it,,,let's say "Impress" her.Tension is OK ..but it's like a kid shouting boo at you all day..you get fed up very quickly."No Escape" from last year was the same..tried to overdo the tension and spoiled it.I think anybody aged 15 or so may have enjoyed it but anybody with a bit of common sense will just sit and watch till it goes off..
The eccentric man and apparently blind pretty much turns the tables on three thieving teens in this thriller.The movie starts off pretty slow, but it gives much space for the characters to develop their respective story.
What makes this movie even greater is that Fede Alvarez, the director of the Evil Dead remake, delivers only 4 major characters on the screen if you don't count the feral dog.
It's very much like how I imagine it, the style of bringing the cameras with a very smooth touch especially 5 minutes after they break into the vicinity of the house.Every movie has its black area, the thing that I feel a little over- the-top is the predictable moments, FOR SOMEONE WHO WATCHES A LOT OF MOVIE.
Don't Breathe not only expands a new level of intensity in horror or thriller films, but if it makes enough money it could inspire new waves of actually really good horror movies.
When a horror movie gives characters good development and likability it just makes the film way better.
Other than that I had such an amazing time with Don't Breathe and if your a fan of the horror genre, definitely go into it and if you are interested in having a exciting experience at the movies go and see this film.
just saw this flick and very not impressed.basic story 3 punk kids try to rob an old blind guy ,which they find out is a bad idea .ex war veteran ,trained to kill ,you know the rest.i think whoever made this pile of poop was trying to emphasise kids go naughty because they are forced to and deep down are really decent people trying to survive.rubbish ,only you choose the path in life and i had no sympathy for these little s***s full stop.so i guess that took the point of the film away.anyway the whole movie is shot in the dark so you cant see bugger all ,and the places they find to hide and run i guess it must of been a 50 room hotel.several bits of the plot are ridiculous ,and i didn't make any sense out of them ,unless this guy is a superhero the whole film is based on immpossibilities ,in fact it was so dull and predictable i turned it off half an hour before the end ,so there it is ,dont waste you're dosh..
I think one reviewer here said it best: "Don't Breathe is a grisly, unpleasant exploitation film about characters that you don't like going up against a man who is at first somewhat sympathetic and then turns out to be a ridiculous mess of a (human) monster, and it's directed with some skill.".
this is one nifty little suspense thriller.once it gets going,it grabs you by the throat and doesn't let go until the end credits.i don't want to give away the plot,but lets just say that just because someone seems helpless,doesn't mean they are,as our three main characters find out when they break into a house to steal any thing of value.problem is,they picked the wrong house to rob.the owner of the house is blind but far from helpless.so our trio get much more than they bargained for.Stephen Lang plays the blind man and is pitch perfect here.the other here main actors are good,but Stephen Lang steals the show in my opinion.for me,Don/t breathe is a 9/10..
Well-crafted, with twists and turns around every corner, it's one of the scariest films you'll see this year.Starring Jane Levy, Dylan Minnette, Daniel Zovatto and Stephen Lang, scripted by Rodo Savagues and Fede Alvarez who also directed this film, the story is about three best friends who've been breaking and entering and robbing several houses, and they want to get to the biggest score so they can finally get away from their broken lives.
Well, the blind man's got some tricks up his sleeves, turns out, he is not somebody you'd want to mess with.Personally, I was surprised by how good this film is because I was not a fan of Fede Alvarez's "Evil Dead" remake a few years back which was more concerned about being gory than being scary.
The thieves see this guy as being easy pickings due to him ending up being blind as a result of serving in the Gulf War, but this homeowner isn't prepared to surrender his home or his money without a fight and our trio find themselves faced with a deadly adversary...Don't Breathe is a wonderful film whereby its very excellence lies with its simplicity; it's another home-invasion thriller and at no point does it try to be anything else (it can hardly be accused of re-inventing the wheel).
The idea that the victim is blind only helps to crank the tension up and helps to keep the viewer on edge - I found myself looking and listening out for the slightest sound which may cause the homeowner to rumble the thieves.Alvarez wisely keeps the direction tight and fluid and most of the focus lies on the thieves and their perilous journey to escape from a man that they feel that they shouldn't have tried to rob in the first place.In some ways Don't Breathe is an odd film from a viewing perspective as you find yourself unsure who exactly you should be rooting for; you can't really root for the thieves (for obvious reasons) and part of you wants to root for the victim, but some twists later in the film kind of make it hard to do this as well.
So what you need to do with this film is just go with the flow and sit back and enjoy this claustrophobic, terrifying and nerve-shredding thriller that basically grips you from start to finish and try not to get bogged down with any moral ambiguities.Simply put this is a top-drawer home-invasion thriller which kept me on the edge-of-my-seat and helped me restore some faith in a genre that has produced rather mixed results over the years..
Evil Dead star (latest one again) Jane Levy takes the lead as Rocky, wanting to get out of Detroit for good and sees this as her great opportunity to do so, lead astray by her Boyfriend Money (Daniel Zovatto) and aided by her secret admirer Alex (Dylan Minnette.) All three are brilliant, though they look permanently shocked throughout, but you can't blame them as the shocks keep on coming.
I know that darkness goes hand in hand with horror movies and that it's a film-maker's tool to add atmosphere to the generally grim feel, but I just found I couldn't make out what was going on!
All in all, if you don't watch an awful lot of horror films and just feel like something that's a little dark with a few jump scares and token blood and gore, then this will probably foot the bill.
Just when you think the story has to end here they kept it going and did it brilliantly.Set in Detroit, which lately with movies like It Follows and Lost River is being filmed to look like the perfect back drop for Horror, Three kids decide to rob this guy of his hard cash.
So what turned out as a simple, (cliched) one-last-time in-and-out heist, quickly escalates into a brutal case wherein the robbers are desperately trying to get out of the godforsaken hellhole that they got themselves into."Don't Breathe" was a fresh infusion into my love for Horror movies, after the massive disappoint that "The Conjuring 2" was.The storyline is brutally realistic, with no supernatural elements whatsoever.
Technical aspects like deft camera-work and sound mixing amplifies the fear factor to discomforting claustrophobia, owing to which the mounting peril on screen becomes directly proportional to increasing stress levels experienced by the viewer.While the actors playing the burglars are virtually unknown, Jane Levy as Rocky and Daniel Zovatto as Money aren't new to horror, having previously starred in Evil Dead and It Follows (2015) respectively.
but Don't Breathe surfaced on our screens and now adds another gem to the genre.Directed by Spanish filmmaker Fede Alvarez who had helmed the amazing Evil Dead remake/sequel, he returns in another hit that gives him the chance to helm a home invasion thriller.
His eye on detail, camera work and the atmosphere reminds us that he can craft a film that can have an impact on us.What I liked and admired about this one was the fact that it feels more like a thriller than horror, it relies on its scenario and how it executes it the moment the criminals are pulling off the robbery.
Another interesting fact was that the violence wasn't over the top or gory, just brutal and nothing else, so this is another good thing that I liked about the film (though personally I am a gore hound fan when it comes to honor but this style can be quite interesting).Stephen Lang's performance as the innocent looking but brutally strategic killer is one for the movie history books, focusing on movement and personality rather than dialogue makes him a worthy actor that should be seen more often (maybe as a hero for once as he's often a villain).
The performances Jane Levy's performance is as great as her role in the Evil Dead remake, and the supporting cast makes it worthwhile.The music score is great, with the returning of music composer of Evil Dead giving the tense game of survival a suspenseful feeling, kudos to his amazing work.There's nothing negative I can say about the film, but Don't Breathe is a solid hour and a half treat that both horror and thriller fans will find great and will overtime become an example of how effective films can be.4/5 - Nick.
What's funny is that with a lot of those film elements, Don't Breathe happens to be a thrilling adventure, all confined in this one house with the goal of getting out.In the slums of a ghost town looking Detroit, three twenty somethings, Rocky (played by Jane Levy), Alex (played by Dylan Minnette), and Money (played by Daniel Zovatto), are robbers who only take small cash and information, thanks to Alex's connection to his father's security who seems to handle most of the local houses alarm systems.
Their decisions to get out of certain perilous situations were actually pretty clever, leaving me thinking, well if that was me, I'd be dead.Anyway, this is an effective thriller movie that's actually more fun than it should be, mainly because Stephen Lang is such an impressive presence on screen, that you'll actually enjoy seeing him every time he shows up, even though you're supposed to be afraid of him.My only question is shouldn't the Blind Man's house at least have a workout room full of weights and exercise equipment?
In Detroit, the burglars Money (Daniel Zovatto), Rocky (Jane Levy) and Alex (Dylan Minnette) plot a heist in the isolated house of a Blind Man (Stephen Lang), who received a large amount when his beloved daughter died in a car accident.
I feel like the horror genre is dying to many filmmakers is playing it safe in not using creature mix with gore and good storytelling for this movie it's basic and forgettable nothing worth remembering because we get another serial killer instead of a new iconic villain or characters that stands out to remember.
Don't Breathe gave another house invasion which I've seen dozen of times in a thriller movie; instead of good storytelling like horror movies.
Don't Breathe (2016) *** (out of 4) Extremely well-made and intense thriller about three small-time criminals (Jane Levy, Dylan Minnette, Daniel Zovatto) who make their money by breaking into homes.
The most impressive thing about the film is the fact that you're basically stuck inside the home and yet the director is able to get tension from every room in the house as well as every twist in the story.Levy is wonderful in the lead role as the criminal who is trying to get one last score so that she can protect and move her sister out of a bad household.
the aspect of the "victim" (the old man) being blind also adds to the suspense, characters are holding their breathe and crouching and what not to avoid being captured and each time a scene like this occurs the tension is undeniable.
I couldn't help but feel a little bad for the blind man at the beginning, but the more you see him in action and learn about him, the more dangerous and scary he appears.As with most horror and thriller movies, the storyline was not extraordinary or totally unique, but, it's an intense movie that was very gripping and kept you on the edge of your seat.The only flaw of this movie were some obvious "smarter" choices the characters could of made, but for the most part, there were't many times where I was bothered by their decisions - considering the situation they're stuck in.In conclusion, the story was okay, the set-up was okay.
I hope Fede Alvarez comes up with more such interesting horror movies.Overall, great thriller.A must watch..
"Don't Breathe" is a horror movie in which we watch a group of thieves trying to break into a house in which we will find a massive fortune.