Don't Breathe

Don't Breathe does suffer from its simple plot, as towards the end it starts to unravel, and the constant stretching of when the story should actually end somewhat detracts from the overall impression. Simply put: As long as the action takes place in the house it's good, but once the characters get outside it gets a bit too clichéd and you're just waiting for the last scene to happen. (28/11/2016)

This is an intense rush that has such strong tension that I would have guessed that the film was from the old continent. However, Sam Raimi has sniffed out a distinctive talent on the other side of the ocean who wields a clear vision and rarely agrees to compromise, perhaps by trimming believability in favor of plot development. Yet Lang's tragic protagonist and the atmosphere that cuts under your skin reign supreme, not to mention the few minutes in "absolute darkness." 4 ½. (17/10/2016)

I used to believe in Fede Alvarez a lot, then after Evil Dead sent him packing – and now I am cautiously taking him back. Because in Don't Breathe there is none of the expected gore or cheapness, except for that specific basement episode, but in terms of genre, surprisingly ambitious composition lies in this eerie building. This game with audience expectations, where my relationship to the characters repeatedly and significantly changes, has no equal. Combined with the natural progression of scares and an unbearably intense scene in absolute darkness, I willingly overlook a few moments where a viewer with a taste for finding plotholes could show a bit of mercy. (08/07/2017)

At last! A horror/thriller which doesn't send a bunch of students into the woods to die. It just sends three thieves to fight a blind war veteran. The film has a very decent plot, a great suspenseful atmosphere, and a fair amount of brutality and insemination. The only thing that didn't work for me was the attempt to convince me that if you steal to give your little sister a better life you are actually in the right. For me personally, the main good guy was the blind man who was just trying to defend his property from invasion by local raiders. I enjoyed the film from start to finish. (15/11/2016)

Alvarez is a master. In Don’t Breathe he delivers a similarly intensive and energetic horror story as in his recent remake of Evil Dead, but with a more focused and, in many aspects, more surprising tale, based on a simple premise that is exploited to the maximum effect. In other words, satisfaction in every aspect. My only quibble is all those “endings”, where it seems that it’s “done”, but it turns out it isn’t due to bad decisions. Regarding the small time criminals from Detroit, nobody would expect them to behave rationally in a crisis situation, so OK. Don’t Breathe, however, stands out formally and with the performances. Stephen Lang as a blind war veteran is one of the best horror villains in recent years and Jane Levy is a candidate for the modern Scream Queen – the poor thing has gone through a lot in both Alvarez’s films :D... The camera, the sound, the dirty atmosphere. GREAT! Thanks to its sober run, the film is the antithesis of boredom and it’s also impossible to take the opposite critical position, that it’s too harsh and nasty. It is what horror should be. Certainly one of the highlights of the year. (02/09/2016)