Don't Breathe (2016), R, ★★★1/2

Three kids against one blind man. 

Looking back at 2016, I said many times that it has been a disappointing year. However, looking at the year so far for a horror genre, it has kind of been a banner year with solid horror/slasher films: The Conjuring 2, Lights Out, Green Room, etc. And, I am not a horror fan. In the end of August, we expect basically leftovers from the blockbuster buffet: note, an underwhelming blockbuster buffet. But, it seems to me, that this latest horror movie is a leftover that may be better than most of its main courses because it is crafted real well story-wise and it is creepily disturbing. This may be the best horror movie of the year.

We follow three Detroit friends - Rocky (Jane Levy), Alex (Dylan Minnette) and Money (Daniel Zovatto) - who are burglars breaking into homes of wealthy owners, retrieving money or any valuable objects that could potentially be worth big to benefit their families or themselves. Rocky lives with his little sister, Diddy (Emma Bercovici) and their abusive mother, Ginger (Katia Bokor) and her boyfriend, Trevor (Sergej Onopko). Rocky promises to Diddy that they will both get out of the home and start a new life in California.

Money gets a tip from one of his connections that there is a man living in his house who has stashed more than $30,000 in his safe. There is word that he is a embittered war veteran with a deceased daughter from a car accident. Rocky says that this will be her, get ready, ONE LAST HEIST, before she starts a new life.

The three plans and stalk's the man's house and they learn that he is a blind man (Stephen Lang). Alex thinks that this is wrong that they are stealing from a grieving blind man. So, that night, they initiate the robbery as Money drugs the man's dog to knock him out. Rocky goes in to disable the security system. Her friends follow and Money goes upstairs to see the Blind Man sleeping with the TV on. Money gasses the room to make sure he does not hear anything. But, then as the three are in the basement, the Blind Man hears something and starts to descend. Uh oh!

Marco...Polo...just kidding.

Without giving anything away, this is a brutal and tense movie as the movie basically is the three against one playing chicken throughout the house and the movie. We learn why the blind man is bitter and sad and when the truth is revealed and a surprise is presented to us, the news is quite haunting and makes sense. But, all I have to say is this: I will never look at a baster the same way again after my experience with the movie. 

Levy, Minnette and Zovatto have chemistry as we connect to them as struggling young bystanders trying to get ahead in life by unfortunately stealing. But, it is Stephen Lang who steals the movie. He is a blind war veteran with a disturbing past but somehow a worse present that will maybe get him better in the end emotionally and psychologically. But the question lies, though: who do you root for? The blind man or the three young thieves because all of them are not likely people who you want to root for. However, it is up to you as the characters are all people who are interesting. 

Director Fede Alvarez pays so much tribute to Panic Room and maybe, Home Alone, if you think about it that he puts a different spin between both captor and victim. Even though the movie is a bit familiar with the Jodie Foster film, Panic Room, it borrows heavily from that underrated David Fincher movie. But, the point of view is from the thieves' point of view and not the victim's point of view which will be later be evolved. The cinematography by Pedro Luque is creepy with some predictable jump-scares and Roque Baños' score is haunting. He is a composer to keep an eye on. Despite the familiar storylines, this is a vastly effective, chilling film that takes a simple premise and twists its motives and complications into a fresh home-invasion stand-off with support from a succinct backstory. For a late August release, this is very good. 

***1/2