NEW BLOOD: DON'T BREATHE

DON'T BREATHE

Screen Gems/Sony

2016 Color

88 Mins.

Horror/thriller

Jane Levy, Stephen Lang, Dylan Minette and Daniel Zovatto star.

Written and Directed by Fede Alvarez

Rated R for graphic violence, strong language, drug use and gore.

Fede Alvarez has finally returned with a bang after his slam dunk Evil Dead Reboot. Don't Breathe centers on a group of robbers who find themselves in deep shit when their target ends up being more than the helpless blind man they planned on. Alvarez approaches the material with an assured simplistic intensity, ratcheting up the films nightmarish moments by bathing them in low lights and a sadistic silence. 

The sold out preview audience I saw this with were at the edge of their seats and shouting at the screen, something I haven't experienced in quite some time. I'd love to say that Don't Breathe was a flawless experience but truth be told it did leave a little to be desired. The performances are all fine Jane Levy is especially effective as the film's heroine and has the most backstory of the four. 

Stephen Lang is fine as the film's aggressive psycho but lacks conviction and depth and although Minette does have some solid moments there's just not enough development there to give him any real impact. And as far as Zovatto is concerned , the nicest thing I can say is that he just isn't very believable and doesn't leave much of an impression either way. The film could have also benefited from just a little more substance to give it more emotional heft. That being said what stands is highly entertaining and cements Alvarez as a real presence in the genre. 

We haven't seen a  genre director take chances like this in quite some time and although his execution isn't perfect I expect a long, successful career for him. As far as the film is concerned expect a few really nasty bits and an appreciated courage to go to some truly dark places with the material. One moment involving a turkey baster had everyone gagging in the theater and jumping in their seats. All in all Don't Breathe is a really fun ride and one that I believe will improve with more viewings. One things for sure although he approaches the material in a simplistic way Alvarez is not subtle with it comes to his gross out shocks and that alone is worth the price of admission. ****.25/5

CINEMATIC CRAPFEST: SUICIDE SQUAD

SUICIDE SQUAD
Warner Bros.
2016 Color
123 Mins.
Action/Fantasy
Will Smith, Margot Robbie, Viola Davis, Jai Courtney, Jared Leto, Jay Hernandez, Joel Kinnaman, Cara Delevingne, Common, Ezra Miller, Ben Affleck and Karen Fukuhara star.
Written and Directed by David Ayer
Rated PG-13 for language and violence.

Normally I wouldn't review a film that had no real horror elements to it. But I felt the need to express my opinion on the gargantuan misfire that Suicide Squad is. My expectations weren't high walking in after the recent overly mediocre entries Man of Steel and B vs.S. but I couldn't help get a little excited after that excellent first trailer and the top notch cast. But any of those hopes were destroyed when the lights went down and the movie began. My biggest question is how a movie this terrible even made it too theaters. It doesn't even feel completed. It's sloppily edited with thinly written characters and hardly any real plot. Add to those facts that the talented cast is criminally under used and the once promising direction of David Ayer has been destroyed as he continues to support this film whole heartedly. It's quite a dilemma DC has found it self in. They seem to be getting the right cast and some of the right directors but the people overseeing these productions seem to have no clue when it comes to making a good movie. And although the first two are by no means good at least they were coherent in their story telling. Suicide squad seems to have abandoned that fact as we jump from one set piece to the next with little to no explanation on how we got there. Enchantress played by Delevingne is the worst villain I've ever seen in a movie and her hula dancing section during the film's forced finale is unintentionally hilarious. The film is filled with confusing flashbacks that are both nonsensical and cheap looking. There seems to be a new song every few minutes to increase that confusion but also identify new characters and the shape of their supposed motivations. A cheap gimmick that doesn't succeed by any means. And on top of all that the cinematography is horrid. It's mostly dark and stuff is hard to see especially since almost every scene is filmed from an angle where we are missing the pay off. Sure there are moments that feel inspired. Will Smith comes out ahead of the material elevating it and Robbie has a lot of solid moments undeserving of the material. And after all the months of speculation Leto's Joker arrives with a dud. And as for the other characters Kinnaman fares the best but most of the others are completely wasted and award Winner Viola Davis seems to be slumming it. It's truly sad that they couldn't have come up with something better especially with that huge budget. In the end the only thing that is certain is that the cinematic DC Universe needs a reboot after only three films. *.5/5