Movie Review - Don't Breathe

Don't Breathe (2016)

Starring Stephen Lang, Jane Levy, Dylan Minnette, and Daniel Zovatto

Directed by Fede Alvarez

While watching director Fede Alvarez' taut thriller Don't Breathe, I couldn't help but think it was twisted version of the 1967 Audrey Hepburn starrer Wait Until Dark.  In the Hepburn flick, she plays a blind woman being terrorized by men who invade her apartment.  In Don't Breathe, Stephen Lang plays Norman Nordstrom, a blind man whose home is invaded by three twentysomethings hoping for a quick buck.  Rather than be terrorized by the trio, though, Nordstrom fights back.  However, as the three robbers soon come to realize, the blind man is no innocent bystander and instead harbors some sick secrets.

While pretty much everyone in Don't Breathe has less than stellar morals, the film is ultimately set up to have us as viewers side with two of the robbers - Rocky (Jane Levy), a poor young woman who longs to flee to California with her stepsister away from her awful home life and drug-addled mother; and Alex (Dylan Minnette), a quiet, shy guy who harbors a secret crush for Rocky and tries to impress her by using his father's security firm to pinpoint homes they can break into a rob.  While they heretofore have only stolen $10,000 worth of product -- which keeps things under the felony limit -- Rocky and Alex's partner in crime Money (Daniel Zovatto) clues them in to Nordstrom's home with the prospect of a big score thanks to a lawsuit Nordstrom settled some years ago.  Despite their obvious deviant nature, director and co-screenwriter Alvarez pulls the viewers into Rocky and Alex's stories in a way that never seems to cloying or pushy.  Yeah, these kids aren't angels, but we're still rooting for them as they head into Nordstrom's house which we inevitably know will be perilous.

Alvarez -- who also directed the very effective horror film remake of Evil Dead -- is incredibly effective at creating a tense, scary atmosphere.  Much of this film takes place in darkened corridors and dimly lit rooms and yet I had no difficulty determining what was going on which is a difficult task for a director.  His cast is top notch for a film of this nature and the small cast does their best either acting scared or scary.  This one had me on the edge of my seat and proves that Alvarez wasn't just a one-hit wonder in the horror film department.

The RyMickey Rating:  B+

Movie Review - Evil Dead

Evil Dead (2013)

Starring Jane Levy, Shiloh Fernandez, Lou Taylor Pucci, Jessica Lucas, and Elizabeth Blackmore

Directed by Fede Alvarez

I must admit right off the bat that I've never seen the original Evil Dead.  I tried to watch it several years ago, but its corny nature was a bit of a turn-off at the time.  With that in mind, I watched the 2013 remake without any preconceived notions and I found first time director and co-screenwriter Fede Alvarez's film a scary gore-fest with many an uncomfortable cringing moment which, ultimately, makes this type of film a success.

The story is incredibly simplistic -- a group of five twentysomethings head to a secluded cabin wherein one of them accidentally conjures up demons which begin to possess them one by one, turning them into evil human-killing zombies.  We're not looking at fancy storytelling here, but what we are seeing is gore galore done so in a way that genuinely had me uneasy...in a good horror film way, if that makes sense.  The sense of tense discomfort that the director brings to the table is perfectly suited for the flick and, considering this is his first venture into feature film making, that's not an easy task to accomplish.  Aided by actors who are all better than horror films like this typically have any right to have in them, Evil Dead ends up being a surprising solid entry for me as I round up my 2013 film-watching.

The RyMickey Rating:  B+