Don't Breathe
Don't Breathe

Movie spotlight

Don't Breathe

2016
Movie
89 min
English

A group of teens break into a blind man's home thinking they'll get away with the perfect crime. They're wrong.

Insights

IMDb7.1/10
Rotten Tomatoes88%
Metacritic71/100
Google Users87%
Director: Fede ÁlvarezGenres: Horror, Thriller, Crime

Plot Summary

A group of young thieves breaks into the house of a blind man, believing it to be an easy target. However, their plan quickly goes awry when they discover their victim is far from helpless. Trapped inside the dark and dangerous home, they must fight for their lives against a terrifying adversary who knows every inch of his territory.

Critical Reception

Don't Breathe was a critical and commercial success, praised for its suspenseful atmosphere, tense direction, and effective scares. Critics lauded its originality and Stephen Lang's performance as the menacing blind man, though some found the plot slightly contrived.

What Reviewers Say

  • A relentlessly tense and suspenseful horror film that cleverly subverts genre tropes.

  • Stephen Lang delivers a chilling performance as the formidable antagonist.

  • The film masterfully builds tension through its claustrophobic setting and inventive set pieces.

Google audience: Audience reviews generally praise the film for its intense suspense, originality, and surprising twists. Many viewers found it to be a genuinely thrilling and scary experience, with Stephen Lang's performance being a particular highlight. Some minor criticisms include predictability in certain plot points.

Awards & Accolades

Nominated for Best Horror Film at the Saturn Awards.

Fun Fact

Director Fede Álvarez wanted to create a film that was scary without relying heavily on jump scares, focusing instead on building sustained dread and suspense through the characters' vulnerability and the terrifying capabilities of the blind antagonist.

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My Review

TMDB Reviews

5 reviews
The Movie Mob

The Movie Mob

**The ruthless savagery of the killer combined with the tight quarters and oppressive silence make Don't Breathe a well-done and frightening slasher must-see.** What starts as a typical home invasion thriller transforms into anything, bu...

Reno

Reno

**The right house, but an underestimated person!** It's a great comeback for the director after his first film, 'Evil Dead' remake had got a mixed response. This film might feel very familiar to you if you have got a good knowledge of th...

Gimly

Gimly

2016 has been a great year for horror. With the addition of _Don't Breathe_, 3 of my top 5 movies the past 9 months are in the genre. I'm a pretty huge horror fan but even for me that is crazy unexpected. Director Fede Alvarez has knocke...

Frank Ochieng

Frank Ochieng

There are several contemporary horror showcases that could certainly benefit from co-writer/director Fede Alvarez’s (“Evil Dead”) edgy home invasion thriller **Don’t Breathe**. For starters, Alvarez taps into the suggestive elements of tens...

joshfaknam

joshfaknam

As is typical with almost all movies of this genre I found this film to be predictable and lacking real creativity. It is an unfortunate collision of several popular titles and left me wondering if its writers had just binge watched a weeke...