Don't Breathe

Opening with a gruesome tease, this home-invasion thriller pits a trio of teenage thieves against an unexpectedly resourceful victim: an aging Iraq War veteran who was blinded in combat. Carefully calculating just how much cash they can steal to avoid a grand larceny rap, Alex (Dylan Minnette) uses his dad's security company connections to rob houses belonging to Detroit's wealthy. But his cohort friends aren't quite so careful. Wallowing in luxurious fantasies, Rocky (Jane Levy) tries on glamorous clothes, while her boyfriend, Money (Daniel Zovatto), gleefully desecrates and destroys valuables. When Rocky learns that a blind man (Stephen Lang) has a huge stash of currency hidden in his dilapidated house in an isolated neighborhood, she figures that the loot will enable her and her younger sister (Emma Bercovici) to flee to California—far from the trailer park and their abusive mother. Sedating the blind man's guard dog isn't difficult, but once they're inside the house, the trio get more than they bargained for. Trapped in a menacing cat-and-mouse game, the teens discover a grim secret that the vengeful old man is hiding in the basement, after which the malevolent tension escalates exponentially. Uruguay-born director Fede Alvarez's cleverly crafted misdirection and night-vision shocks make this an effectively scary and claustrophobic suspense flick. Recommended. [Note: DVD/Blu-ray extras include audio commentary by director Fede Alvarez, writer Rodo Sayagues, and costar Stephen Lang, deleted scenes (15 min.), the behind-the-scenes featurettes “Meet the Cast” (4 min.), “Creating the Creepy House” (4 min.), “No Escape” (3 min.), “Man in the Dark” (3 min.), and “The Sounds of Horror” (2 min.), and trailers. Exclusive to the Blu-ray release is a bonus UltraViolet copy of the film. Bottom line: a solid extras package for an effective chiller.] (S. Granger)