Read Mixed User Reviews for Don't Breathe

6

GinaKAug 28, 2016

This is a cheap trick, not very original revenge horror movie with the kind of mindless violence (and gross out) that has teenage boys giggling in the back row. Certainly Director Alvarez is slick – he has studied the tricks and knows how toThis is a cheap trick, not very original revenge horror movie with the kind of mindless violence (and gross out) that has teenage boys giggling in the back row. Certainly Director Alvarez is slick – he has studied the tricks and knows how to move the plot along and shoot scenes to hold your interest. But this is not a stylish or very smart film – not Halloween or Psycho or Alien or Silence of the Lambs – so I give it a middling grade. I wouldn’t even call it “fun” and I am a horror film fan. Maybe he can learn to add a little less gore and a little more humanity in the future.… Expand

4 of 8 users found this helpful44

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6

shiftworkerNov 30, 2016

crime horror. Three youths break-in to a blind man's home and find more than they bargained for. Violent, but the shock moments work well. It's just hard to have any sympathy with anyone, so you hang back emotionally. That's probably why Icrime horror. Three youths break-in to a blind man's home and find more than they bargained for. Violent, but the shock moments work well. It's just hard to have any sympathy with anyone, so you hang back emotionally. That's probably why I didn't like it all that much.… Expand

1 of 2 users found this helpful11

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4

podunk411Aug 28, 2016

Slick, well shot, acting pretty good overall, but story isn't there--very cliche'd and even cartoony at times. The only real plot device is messing with the audience 's allegiance to either the thieves or homeowner. Really wish it had more toSlick, well shot, acting pretty good overall, but story isn't there--very cliche'd and even cartoony at times. The only real plot device is messing with the audience 's allegiance to either the thieves or homeowner. Really wish it had more to it then just the cheap scares. Definitely wait for this one on Netflix or DVD.… Expand

2 of 5 users found this helpful23

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5

oakleezAug 26, 2016

I went to this on opening night for 3 reasons: The trailer looked great, it has a good director (Fede Alvarez who did the Evil Dead 2013 reboot), and it's actually a horror movie rated R which is rare these days. It was unique enough atI went to this on opening night for 3 reasons: The trailer looked great, it has a good director (Fede Alvarez who did the Evil Dead 2013 reboot), and it's actually a horror movie rated R which is rare these days. It was unique enough at times for me to come out of it without feeling ripped off... but it definitely had some flaws.

Pros:
Great direction and cinematography. A few scenes literally had me holding my breath.
Some plot twists are genuine surprises and at times it is very suspenseful.
It's a large-release horror movie that is rated R. It's a dying breed.

Cons:
The blatant attempt to portray atheists as nihilistic scum is ridiculous. I won't spoil anything, but this is the weakest attempt to paint atheists as terrible people in cinematic history. It's laughable and completely out of place in the context of the movie. I wouldn't be surprised to find out that this movie was partially funded by extremist Christians. It's that bad. Thankfully, it was just one scene... but it could have been easily cut and it would not have affected the plot.
Many of the plot "twists" are predictable due to obvious foreshadowing. Zooming in on items that don't currently matter is just telling the audience you think they're stupid. It's 2016... we don't need adult (rated R) horror movies holding our hands. They could have very easily omitted a few angles/scenes and the audience would have felt less patronized.… Expand

5 of 14 users found this helpful59

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5

weirdcryoMay 1, 2017

Despite the weirly construction of unlikeable characters the movie was doing a interesting work with how heigsts flowed then at some point everything went downhill. By the end of the movie you could only question yourself what went wrong onDespite the weirly construction of unlikeable characters the movie was doing a interesting work with how heigsts flowed then at some point everything went downhill. By the end of the movie you could only question yourself what went wrong on the story and how to fix it.… Expand

1 of 3 users found this helpful12

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6

RvwFromUpHereSep 10, 2016

Who: Jane Levy, Ralph Dover, and the Col. from Avatar as the world's craziest blind man
What: The story of three kids too incompetent to rob a blind guy
Where: The Miracle Worker's house When (Can I watch again): Whenever you're notWho: Jane Levy, Ralph Dover, and the Col. from Avatar as the world's craziest blind man
What: The story of three kids too incompetent to rob a blind guy
Where: The Miracle Worker's house
When (Can I watch again): Whenever you're not trapped in a dark basement.
Why: As far as horror movies go, this one stands above most, but comes nowhere close to surpassing films like Green Room or It Follows.… Expand

1 of 3 users found this helpful12

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5

kugelblitz527Aug 30, 2016

While the overall acting and cinematography was done pretty well in my opinion, the story is pretty unoriginal, the "twists" are predictable, and the villain isn't very scary. You might get a few jump scares out of it, but that's it. IfWhile the overall acting and cinematography was done pretty well in my opinion, the story is pretty unoriginal, the "twists" are predictable, and the villain isn't very scary. You might get a few jump scares out of it, but that's it. If you're looking for a decent, entertaining horror movie, this may or may not be worth your time.… Expand

1 of 3 users found this helpful12

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6

JRY69Aug 31, 2016

"Don't Breathe" was actually one of the most surprising movies for me this year. When I originally saw the previews, I thought this looked like a gimmicky movie that wouldn't amount to much. And while I was sort of right with the gimmicky"Don't Breathe" was actually one of the most surprising movies for me this year. When I originally saw the previews, I thought this looked like a gimmicky movie that wouldn't amount to much. And while I was sort of right with the gimmicky part, the movie overall is a tense experience that many people will enjoy. However, the movie fails in certain aspects that I just can't get over.

The story is rather simple: three friends go around robbing houses to get money. Our main character, Rocky, and her boyfriend, Money, are trying to get money to leave Detroit and move to California. Their friend Alex helps them by getting the keys to the houses since his dad works for a real estate company. One day, Money gets a tip that an old blind man has a large settlement in his home, so they decide to rob him thinking it will be an easy score. This of course starts our movie experience as the old blind man is more capable than we think he is. Before I get into my complains, let me tell you what this movie gets right.

By far the best part of this movie is the atmosphere. At first I thought the setting of just the house would get boring, but it actually added to the feeling of claustrophobia in the film. Each scene with the blind man and the main characters is tense and heart pounding, especially later in the film. There's some great sequences where the blind man will be chasing or hunting down the robbers that makes your heart pound.

The writing too is very solid and believable, at least for the main characters. Some characters like Rocky's mom and her boyfriend Money have lines that feel somewhat cliché and forced. However, the main trio of characters (that being Alex, Rocky, and the blind man) have great dialogue and interactions with each other that feels believable.

Cinematography is also solid overall. While the film doesn't take many risks with it's cinematography, it still helps add to that overall tense and scary feel that the movie is going for.

Where the movie start to fall apart for me is the overall story and twists. I won't spoil them here, but the movie does awful with the suspension of disbelief. Theres moments where you'll say "oh they're dead" only for the character to get up and start running as if nothing happened at all.

But by far the biggest complaint I have with the film was the way in which they try to make you dislike the old blind man. See, when thinking about the concept as face value (that being three people robbing a blind man), you wouldn't really feel much sorrow for the three robbers as what they're doing is an awful thing. However, the film does several things to make you afraid and dislike the blind man. Now I won't spoil it here, but I will say that these twists felt forced. You could tell that the writer knew that they had to make the blind man unlikeable, so they threw these twists in there to make him so.

In summary, "Don't Breathe" is not a bad movie. Not at all. But the movie has fundamental problems with it's story and plot that I just couldn't really see myself watching it again. While it does have good acting, solid dialogue and good cinematography, the ridiculous suspension of disbelief and messy twists hold this movie back from being the next great horror film.… Expand

1 of 3 users found this helpful12

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6

j1trainSep 8, 2016

An absurd third act cheapens an otherwise artful, clever film. It really didn't need to go there. But in the early robbery scenes, the film's use of silence is genuinely nerve-wracking.

1 of 4 users found this helpful13

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6

papadrew7Aug 28, 2016

This was a well shot/acted movie but the plot just did not make me care about the main characters. The main characters are THIEVES alright. They are breaking into people's homes to steal and hollywood expects me to be rooting for theseThis was a well shot/acted movie but the plot just did not make me care about the main characters. The main characters are THIEVES alright. They are breaking into people's homes to steal and hollywood expects me to be rooting for these scumbags? I DON'T THINK SO! I was actually rooting for the homeowner 3/4 of the way through the movie.… Expand

1 of 7 users found this helpful16

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5

imthenoobNov 21, 2016

An interesting concept that kind of fades in and out. It's not really all that suspenseful, The stupid twist near the end kind of took away the badassness of the blind man and instead turned him into just another nut.

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

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4

SpangleJan 19, 2017

Yet, Don't Breathe constantly feels like a short film with a paper thin concept stretched out over the course of a feature-length film. As the film kept going and the same cliched things kept happening, I sat and stared at my screen withYet, Don't Breathe constantly feels like a short film with a paper thin concept stretched out over the course of a feature-length film. As the film kept going and the same cliched things kept happening, I sat and stared at my screen with similar pain as the kids in the house. I wanted out, but the movie just kept on going and going, never introducing any idea that was not filler or cliched in some fashion. Don't Breathe has some solid acting and a scary villain, but the concept is pretty lame especially when there are no tricks up its sleeves to add onto it. What you see is what you get for the most part and the portions it tacks on just feel like reaches that director Fede Alvarez added onto make the film longer and reach the hour and a half runtime. Simply put, this film is the very definition of tedious.

The tediousness predictability is constant and never lets go. The best sequence in the film - the basement sequence with all the lights off - is terrifically lit and really cool to watch unfold visually. Story-wise though, two of the would be robber teenagers who broke into a blind man's home just fondle the wall for a few minutes. As he fondles the wall right behind them, he is on his home turf and shows it, while the two teenagers are lost. Though well captured, the scene lacks in any sort of tension and serves as a microcosm of the whole film. When you anticipate a hand grabbing a character, guess what appears on the screen. These types of cliches are constantly adhered to throughout as Alvarez fails to find ways to obscure them. Instead, it just follows the beats on how to make a teenage, final girl, and home invasion horror thriller, while never innovating on them. Instead, it toes the line and cheapens its own scares by simply emulating the script put forth by better and more innovative horror films.

Even worse, Don't Breathe lacks guts. It fears killing its characters unlike any other horror film I have seen. It keeps them alive at all costs, in order to use them later on as a rescue for other characters. At the end of the day though, it is all done to lead up to a final girl who takes a stance against the big bad guy. The film even lacks innovation in its characterization as, at the end of the day, these are kids who perform robberies. They are robbing a blind veteran because they know he is sitting on a pile of cash. Unable to make the audience sympathetic to the leads otherwise, Alvarez adds in a subplot regarding the blind man with rape and impregnation that really feels cheesy and incredibly cheap. Thrown in just to demonize the blind man, he is clearly a bad guy, but it really adds no depth to the film. No tension, it merely just elongates it as finding the girl in the basement already made us root against him, no need to add on some perverse subplot.

The film continues to struggle, especially outside the house in and around the car. It just drags like all hell and it is supposed to be the thrilling finale. You know every beat of this scene if you seen any horror film ever released and it is really tiring to watch unfold. Ultimately, what I am driving at is that Don't Breathe entirely lacks atmosphere. At no point does director Fede Alvarez create an air of mystery or fear. Instead, it is just a largely dull film that mostly lacks sound to make up for any lack of atmosphere. It relies instead upon the silence of the room and of this blind man feeling his way around the room as the characters conveniently step on creaky floor boards.

Falling well below my expectations, Don't Breathe is an unscary, unthrilling, and thoroughly tedious teen horror film that only has its tight and well structured visuals in its pro column, as well as good acting. Every beat of the story is either done out of cliche or convenience to help move the story along in the predictable and tired fashion desired by Alvarez. For a film so highly praised by critics and audiences alike, it is fair to say that I expected far better than this film.… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

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6

sanyrubApr 27, 2017

Very tense film that doesn´t resort to spirits but still manages to be somehow terrifying at moments. A couple of the young actors lack enough charisma to truly carry the film. But overall it is a thrilling experience. The actor playing theVery tense film that doesn´t resort to spirits but still manages to be somehow terrifying at moments. A couple of the young actors lack enough charisma to truly carry the film. But overall it is a thrilling experience. The actor playing the older blind man nails it. Very recommendable.… Expand

0 of 17 users found this helpful017

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5

JeanDuchampNov 16, 2016

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. The whole idea of a blind but strong and determined guy instead of a zombie, ghost or maniac ( he's crazy enough but not what I'd call a maniac) seems interesting but is not rich enough to build something brilliant entirely on it. The movie isn't completely worthless but something you can easily live without. Protagonists are not truly sympathetic, there are a lot of inconsistencies and cliches. For example, guess how they defeated him (actually, they didn't, the guy was strong enough to be destroyed by such a trifle)? Of course, stole up from behind and beat on the head with a hammer, were you expecting something else? I ask, why didn't they try it earlier? And guess, how did they kill him at last and for sure (hm.. you know what, they really didn't actually...)? Of course, by stealing from behind and beating on the head, were you expecting something else? It's absurd, the guy hears the floor creaking, he knows someone is there, knows it for sure, and for all that he's leaving the room without even bothering to close the door? Sure, an urgent task to remove a dead body (there would be three of them and two survivors - how it's possible? well, there was one more person in the house) from the room, may seem not so urgent in such a moment! And why to rely only on smelling and hearing, why not to take some long stick, a broom, for example, and not to feel around, methodically closing all doors? The burglars were messing around maybe for an hour or more (if you consider the real time), when the owner at least had a right idea to switch off all lights, what by the way makes you guess why he needed them before!... Oh yeah, he was sleeping at the TV sounds, wasn't he?... Yes, but lights were on, however ! Why? Why not scatter glass splinters or something on the floor? He would then hear their every move!... In short, quite an unimaginative silly owner, quite unsympathetic greedy intruders... No sympathy, no pity, no interest, to hell with all of them!… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

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6

smiyamotNov 30, 2016

More of a thriller than a scary, monster type movie. 3 teens are burglars in Detroit; there's a blind man with a lot of money in his house, easy pickings. Or is it? Yeah, these teens think they've got it wired, didn't we all? Had to knockMore of a thriller than a scary, monster type movie. 3 teens are burglars in Detroit; there's a blind man with a lot of money in his house, easy pickings. Or is it? Yeah, these teens think they've got it wired, didn't we all? Had to knock it down a couple of points due to the high school acting job of the teens, couldn't they get anyone better? or a director who could get more out of them?… Expand

0 of 2 users found this helpful02

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6

WhiskeyStoriesSep 11, 2017

Great Idea, some genuinly tense scenes, but its characters are completely one-dimensional and it looses all of its steam in the third act. I liked the film, but I don't get the raving reviews, also the trailer spoils a great freaking twistGreat Idea, some genuinly tense scenes, but its characters are completely one-dimensional and it looses all of its steam in the third act. I liked the film, but I don't get the raving reviews, also the trailer spoils a great freaking twist which made me quite angry in the theatre. It's a fun thriller, that has an okay plot with a great "twist" and a badass performance by Stephen Lang.… Expand

0 of 2 users found this helpful02

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6

JcondicDec 4, 2016

Don’t Breathe starts off as a great thriller but the story suffers in the final act mainly that scene with Jane Levy tied up. What drove the character didn’t make sense to me in that scene based on what we’ve seen earlier because Levy hadDon’t Breathe starts off as a great thriller but the story suffers in the final act mainly that scene with Jane Levy tied up. What drove the character didn’t make sense to me in that scene based on what we’ve seen earlier because Levy had nothing to do with his daughter. I found it unnecessary.… Expand

0 of 4 users found this helpful04

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6

BroyaxDec 3, 2020

Un petit thriller bien sympathique ma foi : dans la zone fantomatique de Detroit, des jeunes branques ont la fâcheuse habitude de cambrioler les baraques restantes… mais cette baraque-là est habitée par un vétéran qui se révèle étonnammentUn petit thriller bien sympathique ma foi : dans la zone fantomatique de Detroit, des jeunes branques ont la fâcheuse habitude de cambrioler les baraques restantes… mais cette baraque-là est habitée par un vétéran qui se révèle étonnamment dangereux malgré son handicap !

Les ficelles sont classiques mais bien ficelées ici et puis la blondinette aux yeux bleus est vraiment ravissante : elle ressemble à Reese Witherspoon avant qu’elle ne commence à se rabougrir mais ici en plus jolie ! elle s’appelle Jane Levy et j’en prends bonne note. En outre, la réalisation est fort bien faite tandis que le rythme ne faiblit pas, du début à la fin… malgré quelques rebondissements discutables.

Mais ce qui est plus discutable concerne le vétéran lui-même, âgé mais encore costaud et qui a plein de flingues dans la maison (paranoïaque le vieux soldat, ouais, ouais, ouais…) : il en fait voir de toutes les couleurs à ces vilains voleurs… malgré son handicap. Oui, c’est sévèrement tiré par les cheveux tout ça… voire burlesque. Mais ça reste divertissant.… Expand

0 of 18 users found this helpful018

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6

Benkoko11Feb 23, 2017

Don't Breathe's greatest accomplishment; making a blind war vet into a kidnapping and murdering rapist (yes, he is a rapist) is also its rather egregious fault. Its scary alright.

0 of 8 users found this helpful08

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6

DavidSpecialMar 12, 2018

Some nice suspense, and the cast are good, but suffers from too may endings syndrome and some cliched writing.

0 of 4 users found this helpful04

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5

RazorSamuraiNov 19, 2018

короче с пацанами на стриме глянули че за фильмец такой, в принципе я бы не назвал этот фильм хоррорм потому что меня вместо того чтобы пугать или держать в напряженной атмосфере я ржал с почанами, ну реально ржомба.

очень много тупыхкороче с пацанами на стриме глянули че за фильмец такой, в принципе я бы не назвал этот фильм хоррорм потому что меня вместо того чтобы пугать или держать в напряженной атмосфере я ржал с почанами, ну реально ржомба.

очень много тупых моментов, и считаю то что не хватило какой то изюминки. я не получил какого эстетического кайфа либо от картинки либо от музыки или то что происходит на экране, только доволен тем то что провели время вместе за кампанией а так если бы чекал в соло то уверен у меня бы анус порвался от злости. ну я повторюсь, идея прикольная но вот реализация вот хромает, прям реально чего то такого не хватило.… Expand

0 of 2 users found this helpful02

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5

akshatmahajanOct 18, 2020

I was very much excited for this movie but after the movie ended I was having mild headache.

The plot was pretty simple and poorly executed. Acting was bad, especially of those three thiefs. Director tried his best to grow sympathy for theseI was very much excited for this movie but after the movie ended I was having mild headache.

The plot was pretty simple and poorly executed. Acting was bad, especially of those three thiefs. Director tried his best to grow sympathy for these characters but you will be angry on them throughout the film. Film's runtime was less than 1 hr 30 min but even after this it's pace was too slow. Movie was not even finished half and I was like " when will this end?". I was neither excited nor thrilled while watching this. What I was seeing were the plot holes and stupidity. Overall, you may give a try but if you come out unimpressed or with headache, don't blame me. I warned you.… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

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6

MrPajamasAug 7, 2021

English (American)
A pretty good horror film with a good setting. The house is just a classic and for me it works and some of the atmosphere breathed on me during the film. It looked good the whole time. Even the main bad guy was cool. TheEnglish (American)
A pretty good horror film with a good setting. The house is just a classic and for me it works and some of the atmosphere breathed on me during the film. It looked good the whole time. Even the main bad guy was cool. The plot was good. The only thing I had a problem with was the last 20 minutes or so of the movie, which although good, felt like they just might not have happened if the main character had done a few things a little differently beforehand, and it was like they just wanted to stretch the movie out a bit. Otherwise, for me, an above average film that I would probably only recommend to fans of the genre.… Expand

0 of 7 users found this helpful07

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6

iCampoRamilOct 22, 2021

La premisa es interesante, pero no acaba siendo lo que parece, no es malo, simplemente es diferente y no es lo que te esperas.
En general está guay, tiene plots interesantes, pero no deja de ser una peli slasher "sencillita" que transcurre enLa premisa es interesante, pero no acaba siendo lo que parece, no es malo, simplemente es diferente y no es lo que te esperas.
En general está guay, tiene plots interesantes, pero no deja de ser una peli slasher "sencillita" que transcurre en una casa (la novedad), está guay, pero ya.

· Cosas buenas: El montaje es lo que más sorprende, además el cómo han aprovechado el espacio, el escenario, porque recordemos que poco más hay que una casa, tanto en cuanto a cámara, en los movimientos que hace (se sacan algunos planos secuencia chulísimos) como en cuanto a narración, yo como espectador vi difícil desarrollar algo tanto tiempo en tan poco espacio, pero vaya que sí da. Además, me gustan las sorpresas en cuanto a la premisa, la atmósfera que crea en la mayoría de la cinta, sumadas a la dirección artística y fotográfica.
· Cosas malas: En ciertos momentos es algo predecible, y luego, dentro de lo que cabe, es una película bastante sencilla, no es demasiado original vaya.
· Conclusión: Es una película competente y efectiva, funciona, sobre todo por la gran atmósfera que crea, y te lo pasas bien, no llega a ser terror terror, pero podría encajar en el género, una buena opción.… Expand

0 of 4 users found this helpful04

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5

lizzardsQueen13Aug 7, 2021

Demasiada incoherencia y fallos durante toda la película. Mejor ves con la idea de que es mala, así tal vez te sorprenda.

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

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