Don't Breathe

Critics Consensus

Don't Breathe smartly twists its sturdy premise to offer a satisfyingly tense, chilling addition to the home invasion genre that's all the more effective for its simplicity.

88%

TOMATOMETER

Total Count: 221

78%

Audience Score

User Ratings: 40,255

Super Reviewer

Don't Breathe Videos

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Don't Breathe: Trailer 1

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Movie Info

A trio of reckless thieves breaks into the house of a wealthy blind man, thinking they'll get away with the perfect heist. They're wrong.

Rating:

R (for terror, violence, disturbing content, and language including sexual references)
Genre:

Horror, Mystery & Suspense
Directed By:

Fede Alvarez
Written By:

Fede Alvarez, Rodo Sayagues
In Theaters:

Aug 26, 2016 wide
On Disc/Streaming:

Nov 29, 2016
Box Office:

$89,210,468
Runtime:

88 minutes
Studio:

Ghost House Pictures

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Cast

Jane Levy
as Rocky

Dylan Minnette
as Alex

Daniel Zovatto
as Money

Stephen Lang
as The Blind Man

Emma Bercovici
as Diddy

Franciska Torocsik
as Cindy

Christian Zagia
as Raul

Katia Bokor
as Ginger

Sergej Onopko
as Trevor

Olivia Gillies
as Blind Man's Daughter

Dayna Clark
as TV Anchor

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Critic Reviews for Don't Breathe

All Critics (221) | Top Critics (38)

I never feel totally comfortable watching a movie in which the heroine is punched repeatedly in the face, in wide shot, by a muscle-bound psychopath until she blacks out.

Oct 10, 2016 | Rating: 2/5 | Full Review…

Kevin Maher
Times (UK)
Top Critic
The suspense is built as carefully as it is in a good John Carpenter movie; Alvarez uses the camera like a stealth weapon, exploring dark corners and hidden areas of the house with devilish glee.

Sep 26, 2016 | Full Review…

Bruce Diones
New Yorker
Top Critic
Alvarez, take a bow. You sick freak.

Sep 9, 2016 | Rating: 3/5 | Full Review…

Poppy Doran
Little White Lies
Top Critic
This is one for horror diehards -- well-engineered, but not on a par with Jeremy Saulnier's grimy Green Room or Dan Trachtenberg's zany 10 Cloverfield Lane.

Aug 31, 2016 | Rating: 3.5/5 | Full Review…

Jake Wilson
The Age (Australia)
Top Critic
Panic Room meets Wait Until Dark in this pitiless, uncommonly serviceable horror thriller.

Aug 27, 2016 | Rating: 3/5 | Full Review…

Scott Marks
San Diego Reader
Top Critic
You start out fearing "Don't Breathe," but by the end you're laughing at it - and the humor is not intentional.

Aug 26, 2016 | Rating: 2/4 | Full Review…

Rene Rodriguez
Miami Herald
Top Critic
Don't Breathe is a gorgeous exercise in great directing that expertly ratchets up tension.

Aug 7, 2019 | Rating: 8.5/10 | Full Review…

Karl Delossantos
Smash Cut Reviews
There's so much to enjoy, even when we're taken down the rabbit hole of depravity after the secrets of the house are finally revealed.

May 5, 2019 | Rating: 4.5/5 | Full Review…

C.H. Newell
Father Son Holy Gore
It's an unbalanced film, but it gets you from point A to point B, even if point B is rather disturbing and hard to endure.

Mar 30, 2019 | Rating: B- | Full Review…

Preston Barta
Fresh Fiction
It's been called Hitchcock on steroids, but Hitchcock was actually Hitchcock on steroids. His influence is clear, but "Don't Breathe" has no problem standing on its own.

Feb 5, 2019 | Rating: B+ | Full Review…

Andrea Thompson
A Reel of One's Own
While this movie isn't a complete failure, on the whole it's just average with a few interesting spots. For a genre film it isn't unwatchable, but it is ultimately forgettable.

Nov 18, 2018 | Rating: 5/10 | Full Review…

Michelle Kisner
The Movie Sleuth
This movie takes you on an insane ride with twists and turns that you could never imagine.

Nov 12, 2018 | Full Review…

Sharronda Williams
Pay Or Wait

View All Critic Reviews (221)

Audience Reviews for Don't Breathe

Aug 24, 2018

The movie requires quite some suspension of disbelief on several accounts from the audience. Once you accept that, it's actually pretty exciting and well done. Of course a single house doesn't offer unlimited rooms and situations for scares and close calls, but the movie makes the most of it, keeping the tension high and never overstaying its welcome in any given moment. Thankfully, the characters do not act foolishly all that often and especially Rocky is easy to cheer for, so overall the result is pretty satisfying for suspense thrillers with a slight bit of gore.

Jens S Super Reviewer
May 10, 2017

Stephen Lang stars in the intense and frightening horror film Don't Breathe. When three thieves break into the home of a blind retired veteran they get more than they bargained for and end up in a fight for their lives. Lang is terrifying in how cold and methodical he is, and Jane Levy is pretty good as a "final girl." Additionally, director Fede Alvarez brings a lot of tension and suspense to film; making an excellent use of space, giving the house a confining, maze-like feel. However, there's a morality problem as the girl is greedy, manipulative, and unremorseful, which makes it kind of hard to root for her. Yet despite its problems, Don't Breathe is an incredibly dark and disturbing film that delivers a lot of chills.

Dann M Super Reviewer
May 03, 2017

***Spoilers Ahead, Maybe*** Don't Breathe wasn't as good as I hoped or thought it would be.The best thing thing about this movie was the trailer.When I saw it, I thought that movie looks awesome.It's what made me want to see Don't Breathe in the 1st place.After watching the movie I was disappointed.It was nothing spectacular & it wasn't something I'd add to my GARBAGE list either but I felt like I was watching it just to be watching it.Right from the start when the 3 teens were breaking into the 1st house they broke into & Money was masturbating onto the floor, I thought how stupid is that? What was the point? Was this suppose to show he was the idiot of the group? Is he that stupid that he doesn't know by doing that, he's leaving his DNA at the scene which could be traced back to him & eventually lead to the arrest of the 3 of them? Am I reading too much into this movie? As for the final break in, the BIG $$$ score that would be getting them out of Michigan & California bound, Who are we to feel sorry for? The 3 teens who break into a blind man's home because they get a tip that there's $$$ inside & what happens to them after? Which wouldn't have happened to them if they weren't robbing houses in the 1st place or the blind man who lost a daughter after she was run over by a rich girl who didn't spend a day in jail & got off with a settlement so he kidnaps her & keeps her chained up in the basement to produce a daughter for him? Who do you feel sorry for? Is this what the movie wants us to consider? Is there a deeper meaning? Was Don't Breathe better than what I thought?

Brody M Super Reviewer
Apr 21, 2017

Great tense thriller that delivers something stylistic like Panic Room many years before it. The story grows a little absurd towards the later third but the film doesn't fail to deliver something different. The direction is strong and the filmmaking is really strong, much like Fincher, you can see why the director has been chosen for the girl with dragon tattoo reboot. The film fails to meet the hype and I think people forget horror can be a well made genre in the correct hands. Interesting film that should live on without being a franchise but this was way too successful.

Brendan N Super Reviewer