I’ve often said I rarely watch movies that are recommended to me. That’s because I usually don’t find them as interesting as the person made them sound, and I end up disappointed. But this one was different. A friend simply said, “Go and watch it, I’m sure you’ll like it.” No explanation, no hype. Just that. And to my surprise, I liked it—actually, I loved it. It even surpassed my expectations.
Don’t Breathe is a horror-thriller directed by Fede Álvarez. The film blends suspense, fear, and emotion in a way that feels both brutal and oddly poetic. It’s not just about horror and fright, it’s a game of survival, where the darkness isn’t the threat, but the man who lives in it is.
The storyline follows a trio of young burglars, Rocky, Alex, and Money, and a blind Gulf War veteran.
At the beginning, we see these burglars chasing dreams of a better life. They’re tired of their tough reality and, when the opportunity comes to rob a blind man living alone in a secluded house, they grab it. Their hope is to pull off one last big operation, get the money, and finally live clean, decent lives.
But their so-called perfect victim turns out to be their worst nightmare.
Their assumptions begin to fall apart when the blind man swiftly kills Money and drags his body away. That’s when they realised that this is no helpless old man. He’s a predator who knows his home like the back of his hand, and he’s not letting anyone leave alive.
He happened to be the most ruthless human they have ever seen. He’s silent, calculating, and he knows his house like the back of his hand. What was supposed to be a simple robbery became a battle for survival as they struggle to escape the house.
Just when Rocky and Alex find a chance of escape (with the cash in hand) through the basement of the house, they came across a helpless young lady who was chained by the old man. Rocky recognizes her as the woman responsible for running over and killing the blind man’s daughter. The news had reported that he was compensated for her death, but seeing her imprisoned in that state reveals a much darker truth.
While trying to rescue the lady, the blind man catches up with them and accidentally shoots her. He then takes Rocky captive. According to him, the woman was pregnant with his child and would have been freed after giving birth. Now that she’s dead, Rocky must take her place and bear his child.
The method he chooses to carry out this plan? Very vile. Disgusting, even. Ewww!😆
This movie, though not overly fast-paced, doesn’t rely on cheap jump-scares, and that’s one of the things I loved most about it.
There’s barely time to relax before the tension ramps up again. The blind man is perhaps one of the most haunting antagonists I’ve seen in recent thrillers. What makes him interesting is that he’s not evil in the cartoonish sense. He’s methodical. There’s a reason behind everything he does, and while you’ll likely despise him by the end, you also won’t forget him in a hurry.
The blind man who was supposed to be the victim become the villain with the most despicable character. This made me hate him(the owner of the house) and develop pity and concern for the young burglars.
I felt for Rocky more since she had a younger sister innocently waiting for her at home. I guess why she survived must have been the plans she had for her.
The suspense in this movie is top-notch. Every appearance of the blind man makes your heart race, and you can’t help but wonder what horrific thing will happen next. If you enjoy nail-biting tension, suspense , and dark psychological thrills, then Don’t Breathe is definitely for you.
It's a big 5 out of 5 for me.
