The Definitive Guide to Living in the Capital , Cairo , Egypt

Having burst onto the scene with an unexpectedly successful remake of Sam Raimi’s horror classic Evil Dead back in 2013, Uruguayan filmmaker Fede Alvarez continues to impress in delivering another yet another satisfyingly frightening and pleasantly inventive horror-movie experience with Don’t Breathe – a house invasion chiller.

The story is set in Detroit and it is centred on Rocky (Levy), Money (Zovatto) and Alex (Minnette); three friends who are desperate to get out of the poverty-stricken city and seek a better life elsewhere. With no father and an abusive mother at home, Rocky in particular is eager to get away from the slums, looking to break free and move to California with her younger sister.

The other two are also on board with the idea and in the hopes of making some getaway money, the three have been busy stealing, robbing homes protected by the security system installed by Alex’s dad. Their attention is soon turned to the house of a Blind Man (Lang) who is living in a rundown neighbourhood of the city and is apparently sitting on several hundred thousand dollars. Thinking that this would be an easy score, the group decides to go for it. However, after entering and making their way through his labyrinth home, they manage to wake the Blind Man; a war-veteran who proceeds to mercilessly attack his intruders, relying on his fine-tuned senses.

Offering an immersive horror-movie-watching experience, Don’t Breathe doesn’t rely on blood and gore to deliver its frights, instead playing with the idea, putting the viewers in a position to anticipate a feverishly gruesome outcome which may or may not come at all. Cleverly written and smartly setup – most of the movie takes place inside of the Blind Man’s home – the only downside of the movie is the lack of character development given to the leads, especially of the two male robbers who we don’t really get to know before we are asked to care about whether they make it out alive or not.

On the other hand, Rocky’s character – played by the impressive Jane Levy – fares a little better in comparison and it’s her back-story of abuse that keeps us rooting for her. Coming out on top, however, is Lang as the undeniably fearless – and chillingly fearsome – target whose physical condition has been vastly underestimated by his intruders. 

Filled with moments of gripping suspense, uneasy stillness and gut-wrenching silence, Don’t Breathe is a surprisingly entertaining entry into the home-invasion subgenre, which uses its seemingly bare and clutter-free premise to close to perfection.