Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.5
Audio		5.0
Extras		2.5
Overall		4.0

Don't Breathe Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Martin Liebman December 2, 2016

There's an old blonde joke that goes something like this: A blonde walks into a salon wearing a pair of headphones. The blonde tells her hairdresser not to remove them. But the hairdresser can't do anything while they're on her head, so she removes them, anyway. Moments later, the blonde dies. The baffled hairdresser puts the headphones on and hears a voice calmly repeating "breathe in, breathe out. Breathe in, breathe out. Breathe in, breathe out." Seems like Don't Breathe is out to get blondes! All kidding aside, there's really nothing funny about Director Fede Alvarez's (Evil Dead) latest film. It's a lean, intense, and disturbing movie, a Horror film in which the boogeyman (boogeymen, really; there are no clear-cut heroes in the movie) is a man and man's own vices and a symphony of misguided youth, wrongdoing, and evil that converge in one night of terror, terrible revelations, trembling teenagers, and a tank-top-wearing old timer.

Busted.

Three young adults -- Rocky (Jane Levy), Alex (Dylan Minnette), and Money (Daniel Zovatto) -- are Detroit residents who make a living robbing the wealthy, taking only goods from homes, not money. That's one of their tricks of the trade and a credo by which they live and die. Their secret weapon is Alex, whose father runs a home security firm that handles the alarm systems for the homes they target. But when riches come-a-calling, it seems their rules are meant to be broken. They catch wind of a major score at a run-down house in a crumbling suburb that's been largely abandoned save for one man (Stephen Lang), a blind war veteran who the thieves believe is stashing several hundred thousand dollars in cash in his home. It's a risky proposition. Money is all in, and so is Rocky; she wants nothing more than to flee Detroit for California. Alex, however, isn't so sure, but he's eventually talked into joining the raid. Little do they know that a simple heist could turn into a night of terror in a world they couldn't have expected to exist behind ragged, unassuming, closed doors.

Don't Breathe is in many ways the antithesis of the modern genre movie, playing things straight and honest, and even if it doesn't always surprise, it works on atmosphere, straightforward storytelling, and streamlined direction rather than hoping that a flood of stuff and gore and jump scares can mask the fundamental flaws that prohibit so many other movies from succeeding. In fact, the movie's best scene, and a couple of others to a lesser extent, take the reverse course of the jump scare, silencing the stage to build tension rather than inundating it with the sorts of sudden bursts of chaos that have lost their effectiveness over the years. Instead, the movie plays to its story and strengths, living up to its title but also doing what it can to, contrary to its namesake, breathe new life into a stale genre that's largely grown ineffective and tiresome over the years.

It's very well paced, too, wasting almost none of its sub-90-minute runtime on needless filler or fluff. Characters and their motivations are quickly established. While not necessarily novel, it's enough to propel the movie forward and reach the crux where the only slowdowns occur by design to increase tension. Audience attachment to characters grows as the story develops, as new revelations come into focus. Again, much of it isn't exactly going to rewrite the screenwriting 101 handbook, but what the movie does do well is cater to its strengths and only fuss around where it must, not where it can. If for no other reason, Don't Breathe is worth a watch if only to revel in its well defined simplicity and the know-how that runs it.

Alvarez is the real hero here. He's put together a movie that's not only fluent in its terror but that's supported by a terrific atmosphere and location that play to the movie's strengths. The house is just open enough to give the material room to work while dark and claustrophobic enough to engender a real sense of terror. Hiding places are few, but strategically positioned to allow heightened tension in various scenes. Then again, the movie's best moments are those aforementioned bursts of silence where characters stand off like an old west showdown where it's not who is quick on the draw but who can remain still and quiet the longest that's destined to win. Acting is fine. Much like the characters the performers play there's nothing exactly revelatory but the three youthful primaries find enough realism in character shape, contrasting fear and aggression and necessity before the robbery and terror during. Stephen Lang handles the challenge of playing the blind elderly victim -- who himself harbors a few secrets -- very well. The performance is certainly impressive physically -- he seems to know his way around the house by feel alone and showcasing what remains of his hard-edged military training -- but also in engendering a fair bit of real depth that only slowly comes into focus as the character develops. Good work all around.

Don't Breathe Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Even as Don't Breathe is a fairly dark film, taking place primarily at night and inside a poorly lit home, there's no missing its 1080p brilliance. The digital source material dazzles even in darkness. Detail is outstanding, with complex skin features the most obvious in close-up, but the transfer picks up all sorts of wear and tear and rough edges around the home. It's impressively complex and simply so, never faltering or struggling with interference in the way of noise or other source or encode flaws. Colors are excellent as well, never desaturated but merely hiding in the darkness. Splashes of light or some of the outlier brighter daytime or exterior shots dazzle with plenty of environmental richness. Black levels, critically important to the movie's appeal, hold beautifully deep and true. Flesh tones appear natural within any lighting condition. This is a fantastic presentation from Sony.

Don't Breathe Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Don't Breathe's DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack is fantastic and often sounds like one of the bigger 7.1 or Atmos/X presentations; it's really about the best-case scenario for the five-channel track. It's very fluid and clear, polished and delightful in its sonic aggression and precision. Bass is seriously rumbly and deep, balanced but very aggressive. A myriad of sound effects populate the movie. Blaring alarms, barking dogs, and gunfire present with striking attention to detail and superb aggression. The gunshots, both 9mm and (likely) .357 rounds, the latter of which blasts with a more aggressive report, are impressive, hitting hard to satisfaction within the house's relatively close confines. Music is well defined and precisely placed, even considering some of its naturally sharper cues. Music literally circles the stage for several passes at the 33 minute mark. Ten minutes later, thumping footsteps pass through the stage, seemingly above the listener; it's hard to imagine the effect sounding any more authentic with engaged overhead speakers. Dialogue is always clear and well prioritized, whether casual conversation, hushed whispers, or screams. It's a wonderful track and the perfect compliment to the movie.

Don't Breathe Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Don't Breathe contains a commentary, deleted scenes, and several featurettes. A UV digital copy code is included with purchase.

• Audio Commentary: Fede Alvarez, Writer Rodo Sayagues, and Actor Stephen Lang deliver a good, detailed, and evenly spoken track that covers shooting locations, the film's title, performances, visuals, story, inspirations, anecdotes from the set, and even a few funny bits. There's a lot of good information crammed into a sub-90-miniute movie. Fans will certainly enjoy it.
• No Escape (1080p, 2:56): A quick look at the house and shooting in it, making a dark basement scene, and the movie's visual tone.
• Man in the Dark (1080p, 3:17): A closer look at Stephen Lang's character and performance.
• Meet the Cast (1080p, 4:04): A quick glimpse at the film's primary characters.
• Creating the Creepy House (1080p, 3:51): Set construction and design and how it plays into the movie.
• The Sounds of Horror (1080p, 1:49): How the movie's unique music reflects the blind man's and the house's personalities.
• Deleted Scenes (1080p, 15:17 total runtime): A Blind Man Gardening, The Ladybug Song, Father and Son, Diner Dancing, Only a Father Understands, Alex Calls Dad, There Is No God, and Rocky Kisses Alex. With optional Fede Alvarez commentary.

Don't Breathe Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Don't Breathe is a rock-solid movie that works thanks to a lean plot, terrific atmospherics, good performances, and no-frills construction. Its title isn't great, but beyond that there's not much room to complain. Genre fans are going to love it, and those who are more Horror-averse may very well find its psychological bend and emphasis on narrative and structure rather than crudeness and gore to be an enticing draw. Sony's Blu-ray features terrific video and audio. Supplements are good. Highly recommended.