Fede Alvarez left a huge mark in cinema by undertaking the remake of one of the most revered horror films of all time, The Evil Dead, by all accounts succeeding in delivering us a relentless, unforgiving, uncompromising gore fest which kept in tune with the feel of the original while also becoming a beast wholly on its own that was more of a companion piece. In this first effort we saw that Alvarez and co-writer Rodo Sayagues could expertly craft a swift character narrative that could propel easily established characters into a spiral of madness without sacrificing the cores of said characters and continuously twisting our expectations of what's to come and what we as a contemporary horror audience could expect. I waited extremely eager for their next effort as not only their writing style but Alvarez's directing was something horrifyingly beautiful to behold. Without informing any news outlet Sayagues and Alvarez decided to construct a simpler film with a minimalist set up more in tune with a thriller to showcase their ability to adapt to more than one style. Once again backed by producer Sam Raimi and Robert Tapert under the Ghosthouse Pictures moniker they made a film with actress extraordinaire Jane Levy that at best I can describe as a meticulously crafted Hitchcockian film if he had been given bath salts. 
Rocky, her boyfriend Money and Alex all live in the dilapidation of Detroit, Michigan. Alex's father works for a security system company that most of the neighborhoods use and with his father's access codes and keys the three rob different houses to help better their lives. Most of the people they've grown up with have moved far away as their neighborhoods worsen and Rocky takes care of her little sister protecting her from the abuse of her drug addled drunken mother and her skinhead boyfriend. Money gets a tip that an old man living alone in his house is the last inhabitant in an abandoned neighborhood and after a tragedy befall the blind man he was given a large sum of money in a court case. This big score is enough for all of them to get out and start better lives for themselves. Scoping out the house and layout they discover the man is a blind Iraqi war veteran and think it'll be much easier with his lost eye sight. What they discover once inside the house is a dark and demented secret about the old blind man and though he may not see, his training and his senses make him one of the most deadliest predators to walk the Earth as the robbery becomes a fight for survival. 
While this is such a simplistic idea and the story is more thriller and air tight, Alvarez's knack for intensity permeates the whole movie as the insanity of Evil Dead's unrelenting barrage is exchanged for unrelenting tension with every calculated shot that foreshadows and reveals the plot through dark and horrifying imagery. At this point Alvarez doesn't simply make a film but an experience. The characters are introduced fairly simply and quickly but given enough weight to care about them. What really helps is almost every character in the film harbors the capacity to be both villain and hero and switches in the narrative. Each one justifying the bad things they do with what cards life has dealt them all the way until the end when the Blind Man takes hold of the film in one of the most uncomfortable ways making you hate and pity him. 
Stephen Lang's Blind Man is probably the greatest Jason Voorhees we've never seen. Alvarez builds him up perfectly when the three enter his home and there is a dead silence which amplifies every step, creak, opening of doors, breathing and contact between the characters and any object they touch. No music is needed to build the dread as the sound-FX is a score unto itself which as you sit and watch can't help but think how loud it must be for the Blind Man. Sweeping shots set up different parts of the house they explore foreshadowing different tools for the Blind Man to use and in the blink of an eye he is alert and ready, appearing before each character like he teleported with calm ease as his eyes and nose survey the area like some kind of animal. His eyes are pure soulless Windows into the mind of a killer. One sudden move or a whiff of something sets the animal off attacking with precision fury. His brutal hand to hand combat often choking and strangling any part of the intruders bodies he can grab and then finding pressure points to subdue them. Once he gets a gun though is when the dread hits the most as he doesn't question firing at the slightest movement and is so fast you can't dodge him. He is silent and quick. When he finally does talk his voice is the sound of gravel and it is more terrifying with the twisted sentences coming out of his mouth doing what he does in his own sense of righteousness. To him there is no God and he himself must dispense his own Justice. 
I stand by my firm belief that Jane Levy is truly this generations Scream Queen on the level of Jamie Lee Curtis and possibly one of the most astounding and bad-ass actresses of her generation. Her character range and arc in the new Evil Dead was a sight to behold and her performance as Rocky continues to prove that. There aren't too many characters in this film and at the end of the day this truly is Jane Levy vs Stephen Lang. Jane Levy emotes so much in her eyes alone in all her performances and when we first meet her here she carries the emotional weight of a person beaten by life yet clinging onto hope for another life she cares for. Nothing will stop her and she will emerge victorious. Once the horrors of the house descend upon her we can truly see her life flash before her eyes but we can also see desperation to still succeed. Her will to live and her determination to give her sister a better life. My favorite scene though was near the end of the film where the Blind Man turns out all the lights and there is a sequence seen in a black night vision as the characters feel around in the dark. Up until this point there's hasn't really been a score but a primitive beast like beat becomes a thematic sound for the Blind Man stalking his prey as in the darkness Levy's eyes widen and terror overcomes her entire body. Through every bit of terror and utmost horror she emotes she still has her eyes on the prize and refuses to leave without it, too much is lost to not gain. This attitude carries her through the film and eventually replaces terror with wits as she must outsmart the Blind Man. Levy is to Alvarez as Campbell is to Raimi, she is put through hell covered in all kinds of sweat, blood and bruises but she troopers through making her character look that much stronger and drives you to cheer for her. 
If Alvarez and Sayugues were to ever remake another movie I think that it should be Cujo. Within Don't Breathe is a mini Cujo remake that puts the Dee Wallace original to shame. I'm a huge dog person, love them and could not imagine being frightened by one, but the way they write and showcase this beast chasing Rocky around is brutal nature at its finest and the dog had me jumping more than anything else in the film. It's quick and volatile chasing her through air ducts and even completely destroying a car with a scene of viscerally barraging terror that just had you glued to the screen. It's a thriller unlike anything we've seen and while I love James Wan I believe Fede Alvarez is truly the new face of horror that could usher in an amazing renaissance of amazing horror films each different sub genres but each carrying the same intensity. I would be completely fine if every Ghosthouse production was exclusively an Alvarez or Raimi film from now on as Alvarez proved a low budget doesn't mean or stop anything. Five senses shattered out of five for one of the most intense and unforgettable films you will ever see!
