I had an idea for a short story years ago when I was dabbling in creative writing. It was a ghost story from the perspective of a blind man. It would be told in his point of view, with only sounds and touch being described. The reader, much like the blind man, would constantly be second guessing themselves, wondering if the sights and sounds hinted toward something paranormal or a home invasion. I always seen it as something literary or audio-based, as converting it to cinema would sully the concept.
Fede Alvarez’s “Don’t Breathe” reminded me of my short story, both because of the blind man aspect and its creative way in implementing sounds and touch to create terror. Unlike my idea, it heavily uses sight to develop tension, making me believe it wouldn’t translate well to text. I believe all art forms have their standout exhibition that only works as best in that field. “Don’t Breathe” is the standout for film, a thriller that utilizes the tantalizing motion picture to full effect. Sight, ironically enough, is vital in the success of “Don’t Breathe.”
To see the Blind Man (Stephen Lang) lurking in the shadows is as thrilling as any jump scare or body dismemberment. To witness the fear in the eyes of Rocky (Jane Levy) & Alex (Dylan Minnette) as they cower in the corner, holding their breath until they turn blue just to survive, is as chilling as any scary story one may play out in their head. The tension in “Don’t Breathe” is insidious, suffocating the viewer just as the protagonists suffocate themselves to avoid detection.
Along with Rocky’s dopey boyfriend, Money (Daniel Zovatto), the two protagonists embark on an escape route from a blind war veteran trying to protect his home. The teenagers have invaded his home in search of a huge cash settlement he received from a rich family whose daughter ran over his daughter in an accident, killing her. The teens believe it to be a foolproof plan despite Alex’s trepidations. His gut feeling would prove correct as their target turns the tables on them, boarding them into his home at his mercy.
Fede Alvarez’s script, which he co-wrote with Rodo Sayagues, plays with the notion of justice in the form of lawlessness. The protagonists aren’t saints, stealing from the innocent to finance their escape from their own personal Hell (purposely set in Detroit as social commentary). Money is the only one that’s out-and-out heinous, with Rocky & Alex being portrayed as innocent souls caught in a downward spiral. Alex only plays along with the thievery due to being smitten with Rocky, a love triangle laid on too thick but not around long enough to soil the proceedings. Once Money’s out of the picture, the two’s chemistry gets to shine in the face of danger.
The Blind Man is no saint either. He has plenty of skeletons in his closet, with more disturbing layers to him being unraveled the more the teens travail through the house. And yet, one can understand his reasoning for his criminal behavior. It doesn’t justify his sick actions, but also doesn’t shy away from the double standards on display. It’s not until the demented finale that he truly becomes a contemptible bastard, one worthy of his comeuppance (pun intended).
The majority of the film takes place within the Blind Man’s home. Alvarez, who displayed a keen sense of awareness to claustrophobia in his superb “Evil Dead” remake, does the same here, extracting suspense from isolation. The film is filled with requisite scenarios in which one is trapped in an air duct and another narrowly avoids being caught hiding in a closet. All of these scenarios are done with finesse, utilizing both silence to highlight the creaks and the haunting score performed by Roque Baños. Even familiar tropes such as the deadly watchdog are put to good use, including one sequence that is reminiscent of “Cujo,” only cranked up a notch.
The film isn’t without its jump scares, but they are far and few between. Even then, they serve a purpose other than a cheap thrill. Alvarez is testing the viewer’s anxiety, prepping their sense of sound for when it is to be heightened in the Blind Man’s hunt. Despite having sight (sans one cleverly shot sequence using a grey filter to represent darkness), the teens must use their sense of sound to combat their captor’s heightened senses. When something loud goes off, such as the gun shots, it is deafening and jarring. The jump scares prepare us for this, cheating our sense of sight in order to jolt our sense of sound just as the Blind Man and his victims have their senses jolted.
“Don’t Breathe” may rely on the occasional jump scare and brutally realistic violence, but both are done to bolster the severity of the situation. The meat of the suspense is in the slow-building dread. One of the more frightening scenes simply involves the Blind Man awakening from his slumber, accompanied not by a jump scare or moody score, just the image of him upright. The tension comes from the immediacy of the situation and Alvarez knows this.
“Don’t Breathe” is an intense and relentless thriller with many twists and turns thrown in to keep the viewers on their toes! The dread envelops the viewer until the final frame. No doubt it wouldn’t be as terrifying if one didn’t lay witness to it with their very eyes!
Final Rating: A-