Once a Neurosurgeon, Now a Weaver of Spells

Benedict Cumberbatch in "Doctor Strange"
Photo Credit: Imdb.com

Back in May, the Marvel Cinematic Universe commenced Phase Three with the pivotal chapter, “Captain America: Civil War.”  Despite the major events of that film, the phase, thankfully, didn’t feel like it began too big, too soon.  That’s because there are still so many aspects of the wider story to introduce, and we know there are many exciting things that have yet to come in future installments as we get closer to the two-part “Avengers” finale.  At this point, Marvel has something big to add to their expanding narrative: the use of magic.

In director Scott Derrickson’s “Doctor Strange,” he’s tasked with bringing a film that’s visually different from what we’ve seen before, a movie with a heightened sense of the supernatural.  Although the film is sometimes hindered by the usual issues of certain Marvel films from the past, it’s still a visual treat anchored by a piece of casting perfection in the titular role.

Dr. Stephen Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch), is a renowned neurosurgeon who sustains career-ending injuries in a serious car accident.  Feeling lost, he goes on a journey of healing to Nepal, where he comes across a group of individuals who train in the mystic arts to defend Earth against threats from other dimensions.  Under the tutelage of the Ancient One (Tilda Swinton) and one of her fellow sorcerers, Karl Mordo (Chiwetel Ejiofor), Stephen is given the opportunity to learn their powers.  When sorcerer Kaecilius (Mads Mikkelsen), sets out to release an otherworldly force, Strange will have to use his newly honed abilities to combat this evil.

It’s obvious that Benedict Cumberbatch’s performance draws considerably from his work on the BBC series, “Sherlock,” which turns out to be wonderful for the character of Doctor Strange, as both of these roles has Cumberbatch playing someone who has boundless intelligence and a humorously snarky and sarcastic attitude.  Because of this, Cumberbatch’s persona in the role practically mirrors that of another actor who plays a Marvel character, Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark/Iron Man in the “Iron Man” films, which will be a tremendous duo to watch when they meet up for the “Avengers” finale.  With his performance, Cumberbatch proves to be one of the best additions to the ever-growing cast of the MCU.  

Going into this film, you know it’s going to be Cumberbatch’s show, but there are still a couple of other supporting cast members who get their own memorable moments, particularly Swinton and Ejiofor.  However, in the case of Rachel McAdams, who plays surgeon Christine Palmer, has enough chemistry with Cumberbatch, her character isn’t as developed as it should be and will hopefully be developed into a more in-depth role that suits McAdams’ talents, instead of the character being mostly a love interest.

As is an issue with several films of the MCU, the main antagonist is rather forgettable.  Mikkelsen only gets a couple of scenes with actual dialogue, and then a majority of his screen time is him engaging in fights against Doctor Strange.  With the intense villainous role he had 10 years ago in the James Bond film “Casino Royale,” I was looking forward to him turning in another memorable performance as an antagonist.  However, much like Christopher Eccleston’s Malekith in “Thor: The Dark World,” there’s evidence of a better performance lurking beneath, but Mikkelsen isn’t given much of a chance to shine through.  The villains should be allowed to give as big of an impression as the heroes, especially if you’re going to get talented actors and actresses to portray these villains.

The screenplay by Derrickson, Jon Spaihts, and C. Robert Cargill, which is based on the characters created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko, can’t help but use the typical Marvel formula; which is kind of letdown because given how this film expands the concept of magic and the supernatural in the MCU, this would have been a great opportunity for Marvel to highlight that change of route by deviating further from their usual blueprint.

On the plus side, the narrative still serves as a competent introduction to Doctor Strange’s character, giving us an insight into his intellect and ambition to master his new abilities after losing the ones he gained after years of practice, and this makes him a character I’m looking forward to seeing in future sequels.

Director Derrickson hasn’t made many big-budget films in the past, as he’s mostly been involved in the horror genre with inexpensive films like “Deliver Us from Evil,” “Sinister,” and “The Exorcism of Emily Rose.”  However, with “Doctor Strange,” he assimilates well into the MCU, delivering some very imaginative action sequences.  And while the story itself seems conventional in terms of what we’ve seen from Marvel, Derrickson doesn’t shy away from going weird with the imagery, providing us with psychedelic, kaleidoscopic visuals that are some of the best Marvel has offered in any of their films.

While “Doctor Strange” isn’t quite the break from formula I was hoping from Marvel, it does look like it has the potential to become more out-there in future sequels.  If Marvel is able to do this, I’m sure the next spell Doctor Strange casts will be even greater.

Final Grade: B

From the Window of a Train, a Look into Someone Else’s Life

Emily Blunt in "The Girl on the Train"
Photo Credit: Imdb.com 

At the start of director Tate Taylor’s mystery thriller, “The Girl on the Train,” Rachel Watson (Emily Blunt), reflects the act of watching people from the seat of her train, wondering about the lives of those she sees, thinking about who they are, what they do, where they are going.  Just like her, we’re all guilty of people-watching from time to time, whether we like to admit it or not.

This is an act that brings the main character into the life-changing events of the film, which is based on the 2015 bestselling novel by Paula Hawkins.  Despite a few issues with the overall story, the film still benefits from a superb lead performance and competent direction.

Every day and night, Rachel, an unemployed and divorced alcoholic, rides the train into and out of New York City.  On her trip, the train always stops in front of a house in a suburb, where Rachel often catches a glimpse of a loving husband and wife, Scott and Megan Hipwell (Luke Evans and Haley Bennett).  She views them as an idyllic couple and constantly fantasizes about the life they share.  However, one morning, Rachel witnesses something that shatters her romanticized perception of them.  When Megan goes missing shortly after, Rachel tries to figure out what happened to her, and her involvement in the search soon makes the detectives believe she may be a suspect.

The character of Rachel may be deeply flawed, but that doesn’t hinder her from being sympathetic.  Her flaws make her interesting, and you care about what happens to her.  As soon as the film begins, she’s at her seat on the train, keeping to herself and her thoughts, and we see how her loneliness has taken a toll on her, with her eyes revealing a sense of longing that she experiences day to day.  However, when it comes time for her character to snap out of her gloom, Blunt expertly displays the change in character Rachel must make in order to find out what happened to Megan.  With her quiet intensity from then on, Blunt further shows she has the power to carry a movie and is the main reason why this film works at all; otherwise, the movie would succumb to its issues.  

Although the acting is fine all around from the supporting cast, some of the characters are more memorable than others, particularly Justin Theroux as Rachel’s ex-husband and Allison Janney as one of the lead detectives.  However, the supporting player who offers the most to the film is Haley Bennett.  Her eyes and tone of voice contribute to the palpable air of mystery surrounding her, and we learn a lot about her background throughout the movie, giving us an idea of her motivations behind the things she does.  After she continues to disclose more about herself during the film, her best scene comes later in the movie, where she chooses to reveal details of a shattering event from earlier in her life, and we’re given a view of the pain she’s been hiding beneath the facade of the seemingly white-picket-fence perfection of her suburban lifestyle.

Although the screenplay by Erin Cressida Wilson experiences some of the same issues from the novel, it still manages to fix a couple of them, particularly making the narrative more streamlined.  In the novel, there were several portions where we didn't learn anything of importance, but the film takes out all of that tedium to bring us something a little more interesting.

One of the main issues the screenplay has to contend with is overcoming how it’s based on a novel that holds a few similarities to Gillian Flynn’s 2012 bestselling novel, “Gone Girl.”  Both stories focus on a woman who goes missing, has multiple narrators, and an unreliable narrator.  However, what helps this film separate from “Gone Girl” is how it uses the unreliable-narrator approach.  In “Gone Girl,” the narrator was untrustworthy because of the lies they told; but in “The Girl on the Train,” this approach is used with a main narrator who’s untrustworthy because she can’t rely on her memories due to blacking out.  This alternate angle for the unreliable narrator helps keep the concept fresh and audiences invested in the main character’s plight.  

Seeing as the story involves Rachel trying to recover the memories she loses when blacking out, this requires the narrative to manage transitions back and forth between the present and Rachel’s fractured memories.  With the help of editor Michael McCusker, Taylor is able to make this presentation of the story flow smoothly.

With Taylor’s two biggest movies before this being “The Help” and the James Brown biopic “Get on Up,” he shows he has the skill for handling a mainstream thriller, even if the film is hindered by a couple of the problems found in the book.  He brings the sense of voyeurism found in Hawkins’ novel, putting us in Rachel’s place as the onlooker of other people’s lives, which is emphasized by an abundance of point-of-view shots. 

The novel has several Hitchcockian elements, and Taylor’s direction emphasizes them to good effect.  These elements include trains, alcohol, blondes, voyeurism, the double, and placing an average person in significant circumstances.  In fact, if the conclusion was less underwhelming and more of the supporting characters had as much depth as the main protagonist, this is a movie I can imagine Alfred Hitchcock directing.

“The Girl on the Train” may not take you to the destination you were exactly hoping for, but it offers a rather entertaining ride for anyone looking for a quick thrill.

Final Grade: B   

Trying to Make it Big in the Big City

From left: Mike Birbiglia, Kate Micucci, Gillian Jacobs,
Keegan-Michael Key, Chris Gethard, and Tami Sagher in "Don't Think Twice"
Photo Credit: RottenTomatoes.com

In terms of all of the different forms of acting you’ve seen, you’ll probably think of film, television, and Broadway, for the most part.  With the stories the actors have to tell, they have the benefits of scripts to help them bring the narrative to life and captivate their audiences.  However, there’s one form of acting that may sometimes go forgotten, and that’s the art of improvisation.  In these groups, the actors make up their stories on the spot and must keep the energy going with as little dead space as possible so they can keep their audiences entertained.  Given how this art form requires the actors to always have their imaginations going in order to build upon the skit they’re creating, it’s an admirable method of performance.

This is something that’s explored in director Mike Birbiglia’s comedy-drama, “Don’t Think Twice.”  With a natural bond throughout the cast and a story that displays the fun and hardships of trying to gain recognition as a performer, this film provides the emotions and laughs of a group of actors trying to make their breakouts into stardom.

In New York City, an improv troupe (Mike Birbiglia, Keegan-Michael Key, Gillian Jacobs, Kate Micucci, Chris Gethard, and Tami Sagher) come together regularly to put on shows for an eager audience.  However, when two of them get the chance to audition for “Weekend Live,” a “Saturday Night Live” type of show, and one of them ends up being selected, the group eventually has to come to terms with the possibility that maybe not all of them are cut out for show business.

All of the cast members display a wonderful amount of chemistry, which helps us become invested in their bond when they’re performing on stage for audiences and dealing with their troubles when they’re off stage.  Everything about their characters rings painfully true, and their actions and emotions help in bringing this very realistic situation to life.  The way they exhibit the anxiety and jealousy that come with trying to make it big in show business is a major highlight of the cast and is genuine enough to put you on edge whenever the characters express any of those feelings.

Although we’ve seen a lot of these actors do comedic work in the past, one of the best things about the movie is how well they give themselves over to the drama of their predicament and must face the likelihood that they won’t always be performing together.  Seeing these actors stretch their talents from the comical aspects into the deeper drama of the story speaks to these actors’ understanding of the emotion and stress that goes into the star-making process.

One of the best aspects of Birbiglia’s screenplay is how he dedicates enough time to each of the main characters, as he allows us to get to know about each of their lives and how they commit themselves to trying to build successful lives as entertainers.  Whether through interactions between characters, or moments when the characters are apart from each other, Birbiglia offers a considerable amount of insight into each person and the dreams they hold.  As a whole, the screenplay is a detailed portrait of people wanting that glimmer of acclaim, hoping it will turn into something more, but also facing the possibility that they won’t be doing improv forever and must soon move onto different endeavors.

As a director, Birbiglia is able to find a balance between the comedy and drama.  He allows the cast to be funny, but also retains the tough reality of the situation with how success isn’t guaranteed for everyone.  “Don’t Think Twice” is a movie that never shies away from being true to life and showing the struggles of trying to build a career as a performer, and it’s that authenticity that makes this movie something special.

Final Grade: A 

Back to the Woods, and the Witch is On Another Hunt

From left: Brandon Scott, Corbin Reid, James Allen McCune,
Valorie Curry, and Wes Robinson in "Blair Witch"
Photo Credit: Imdb.com

In 1999, directors Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sánchez surprised audiences with their found-footage horror film, “The Blair Witch Project.”  The story followed a trio of young filmmakers who, in October of 1994, get lost while venturing in the woods near Burkittsville, Maryland to film a documentary about the legend of the Blair Witch.  While it wasn't as scary as it was made out to be, you can’t deny the impact it had on found-footage films and the horror genre as a whole.  

A little over a year later, Hollywood released a sequel, “Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2,” which was nothing more than an ugly case of a studio cash-grab to piggyback off of the success of the original.

Now, indie horror director Adam Wingard makes his contribution to the Blair Witch legend with the third film in the series, “Blair Witch.”  Although it’s easily better than the disastrous second installment, there’s hardly anything in the film to justify its existence.

The story follows James Donahue (James Allen McCune), who decides to venture into the Maryland woods under the belief that his sister, Heather, may still be alive after disappearing with her two friends while filming a documentary on the Blair Witch.  Not too long after starting their journey, James and his friends Lisa (Callie Hernandez), Peter (Brandon Scott), and Ashley (Corbin Reid), along with guides Lane (Wes Robinson) and Talia (Valorie Curry) soon figure out they are being hunted by the same evil James’ sister and her friends encountered on their ill-fated trip.

You can’t really judge the acting too harshly because the cast isn’t really given much to do except act terrified, scream, hyperventilate, and repeat.  Despite doing an okay job with their limited material, it’s evident rather quickly with what kind of performances we’re going to get, so there isn’t much need to describe them any further.

The screenplay by Simon Barrett, who wrote Wingard’s darkly comical slasher film, “You’re Next,” pretty much follows the same route as the original film, with a lot of the events in this movie being similar to those of the original, so there’s hardly anything new to present in the story.  Besides the lack of interesting occurrences in the narrative, that deficiency also extends to the characters.  Even though there are six main roles in the film, we learn the bare minimum about them, as the single important thing we know is that James is Heather’s brother.

One of the only interesting things in the film is how each of the four friends are given their own camera, mostly in the form of an earpiece device, with the movie usually going back and forth between each person.  This allows the story to break up the characters and see what each of them is up to, instead of having them altogether behind one camera.

What made “The Blair Witch Project” so alluring was seeing the amateur videocamera footage on the big screen and going through the experience of watching something that seemed real.  However, over the years since the release of the original, there have been countless found-footage films (including six “Paranormal Activity” movies between 2009 and 2015) that have flooded cinemas, so the novelty of the sub-genre has already worn off.

Considering Wingard’s success with “You’re Next,” I was looking forward to him directing a sequel to a hit horror property, a sequel that would be more in tune with the original.  He could have delivered some of the inventiveness of that film to “Blair Witch,” but the movie just ends up playing out like the original and most other found-footage movies we’ve seen over the last few years.  And it doesn’t help that he uses the same jump scare over and over again that involves the characters popping up in front of the camera.  Any average horror director could have done that, and I expected more from Wingard.  Although he’s able to give the tension a bit of a boost in the third act, it doesn’t last for long as it has already become obvious how the movie is going to end.  In the future, Wingard should stay away from something as tired as the found-footage genre and display his talents in other fields of horror.

Final Grade: C-

Just an Ordinary Day, Until You Have to Become a Hero

Tom Hanks (left) and Aaron Eckhart in "Sully"
Photo Credit: RottenTomatoes.com 

Whenever you watch the news, it’s always uplifting to see a story about the heroism of those who dedicate their lives to protecting us, whether it be a soldier, firefighter, police officer, or any other kind of protective force.  However, once in a while, we’ll get a story about someone who was unexpectedly thrown into a situation wherein they didn’t have any idea they would be saving people that day.

This is something that director Clint Eastwood observes in his biographical drama, “Sully,” in which he tells the story of U.S. Airways pilot Captain Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger and the “Miracle on the Hudson” that occurred over seven years ago.  With a terrific lead performance from Tom Hanks and a respectful recreation of the events of that day, Eastwood offers a film that’s a fitting tribute to this inspirational true story.

On January 15, 2009, Captain Sullenberger (Hanks) and First Officer Jeffery Skiles (Aaron Eckhart) land their plane on the Hudson River shortly after experiencing dual-engine failure a few minutes into the flight, and all 155 people on board survive.  While the nation celebrates this averted disaster, the National Transportation Safety Board are convinced Sully could have made it back to the airport unharmed.  With Sully facing scrutiny from the NTSB and trying to deal with being the topic of every headline, he tries to convince his naysayers he did what was best for his crew and passengers.

Tom Hanks delivers a dramatic, yet appropriately subdued performance as Sullenberger.  Throughout the film, Hanks displays the humbleness of being an everyday hero, while also showing an unwavering sense of calm when the higher-ups disagree with how his character should have handled the situation.  He’s someone who’s trying to get some grasp of normalcy back into his life, all while keeping his composure for his family and in front of the media, letting Hanks exhibit a thorough portrayal of what it means to reluctantly be put under a microscope.  One of the best things Hanks exemplifies about his character is how much he cares for his passengers, such as asking for a headcount after the landing and inquiring about injured passengers as he’s getting treated in a hospital.  The genuine concern he shows for the safety of these individuals lets Hanks bring across his character’s compassion for others, making him the definition of someone who cares about those he serves.

The screenplay by Todd Kormarnicki, which is based on the memoir “Highest Duty: My Search for What Really Matters” by Sullenberger and the late Jeffrey Zaslow tends to be rather thin on material in the segments that revolve around what happened in the days following the landing.  Although it’s engaging to see Sully react to being thrown into the national spotlight, the movie could have benefitted from a slightly deeper look into who he was.  We get a couple of flashbacks of his previous experience as a pilot, but with the movie being just over 90 minutes, a bit of extra time with his background would have been interesting to see, as well little bit more focus on Sully’s wife, Lorraine (Laura Linney), who also has to deal with the press.

However, the scenes from the day of the landing offer several angles pertaining to the people who were involved with the event, including moments with the air-traffic control, the crew of a New York ferry, and the NYPD aviation unit.  This all provides a view of how everyone came together to help those who survived the ordeal.  However, what’s most important is how the film allows you to get to know some of the passengers, often focusing on a couple of groups of them for a bit in order to let you get a glimpse of the lives Sullenberger and Skiles saved.  

After more than 40 years of directing movies, Clint Eastwood shows he still has what it takes to tell an emotional story.  Even though the movie is meant to be an inspirational narrative, he’s able to keep the film from becoming overly sentimental because he allows the events themselves to do a fine job extracting the sensations of relief and elatedness you automatically feel by watching Sully and Skiles’ heroic landing.  And even though you know everyone makes it out of the landing okay, Eastwood is still able to provide a tense portrayal of the events because of those little scenes were we get invested in and feel for the passengers, and this is all blended with his ability to capture the apprehension in the cockpit and cabin of the plane, as well as the bravery of what was seen on the Hudson.

When Eastwood goes to the moments that examine Sully’s character, the quietness and intimateness of these scenes make the movie an interesting study of a person who is quickly thrown into breaking news.  As you pair Eastwood’s legacy of directing with the stature of an actor like Hanks, the story excels, even if it has a few narrative shortcomings.  And with “Sully,” Eastwood and Hanks show that heroism can come from anywhere.

Final Grade: B+

A Young Storyteller Has an Adventure as Fantastical as the Stories He Tells

Monkey (Charlize Theron), Kubo (Art Parkinson), and
Beetle (Matthew McConaughey) in "Kubo and the Two Strings"
Photo Credit: Imdb.com 

Over the years, Pixar and Studio Ghibli have been two of the top studios who have given animated films that both wowed us with their gorgeous visuals and offered thoughtful stories.  Because of this, it’s understandable if you may have forgotten about another animation studio that has given us a share of their own inventive films and deserves recognition, and that studio is Laika.  Since 2009 with their first film “Coraline,” Laika has created a handful of stop-motion animation films that are memorable in their own right.  After “Coraline,” they gave us “ParaNorman” in 2012 and “The Boxtrolls” in 2014.

They now gift us with their fourth film, “Kubo and the Two Strings.”  Directed by Travis Knight, who served as an animator for Laika’s past three films, the filmmaker and studio bring us the best animated film of the year so far with an emotional story, beautiful visuals, and enchantment in every frame.

Kubo (Art Parkinson) is a young boy who lives with his ill mother in a cave on top of a mountain in ancient Japan.  Every day, he walks down to the neighboring village to tell stories to its inhabitants by manipulating pieces of paper into origami with the magic and music of his shamisen.  However, Kubo is told by his mother to stay in their home at night, or else his grandfather, the Moon King, will comes down and harm him.  One night, when Kubo is out late at a festival, the Moon King destroys his village.  Afterwards, Kubo wakes up in an unknown land and finds he is accompanied by Monkey (Charlize Theron), and later, a beetle-like humanoid named Beetle (Matthew McConaughey), who’s a samurai.  The group soon begins a quest to find three ancient pieces of armor that will help Kubo defeat the Moon King once and for all.

The three central characters make for a very colorful trio and are a lot of fun to watch.  Kubo is an energetic storyteller with the heart of a warrior, and watching him venture out into the world gives you a thrilling and emotional view of his coming-of-age journey.  Charlize Theron proves to be a superb choice for Monkey, with a voice that’s authoritative, protective, and full of wisdom, yet still manages to be funny in her deadpan delivery of the film’s more comedic dialogue.  Although Matthew McConaughey’s character acts as the film’s main source of comic relief, Beetle still manages to be a brave fighter who will do what he can to help Monkey guide Kubo on his journey.

The screenplay by Marc Haimes and Chris Butler offers a story that has an engrossing fairy-tale quality, offering us a sense of wonderment during the whole of the protagonist’s adventure.  Throughout the film,  Kubo, Monkey, and Beetle have scenes that involve them fighting monsters, exploring unknown lands, and transitioning into heroes, all of which help craft this film into an epic for all ages.  

With Kubo being a storyteller, we see his audience in the beginning being enraptured with his exciting tales as he tells them to the village, and we sit in the theater and mirror this sentiment as we become drawn into Kubo’s tales.  Similar to the villagers listening to Kubo’s fables, we’re eager to know what will happen next, and with all of the thrilling events that occur in the film, there isn’t any shortage of that feeling.

Because Travis Knight has a history with Laika, he’s able to use his experience with the studio to bring a visually and narratively beautifully film to life.  With all of the detail that goes into the animation, you can tell there was an abundance of dedication from the crew to make a film we will remember.  As you watch “Kubo and the Two Strings,” you can just sit back and lose yourself in the action, emotion, and humor as you cap off the summer-movie season with this example of stunning big-screen magic.

Final Grade: A   

Breaking In is Easy, But Not Breaking Out

From left: Daniel Zovatto, Jane Levy, and Dylan Minnette
in "Don't Breathe"
Photo Credit: Imdb.com

Whenever you watch a horror film or psychological thriller with a main character who has a physical handicap, you wonder how this person will navigate through the menacing events of the film.  Some examples include James Stewart as a wheelchair-bound photographer in “Rear Window,” Audrey Hepburn as a young blind woman in “Wait Until Dark,” James Caan as an injured and bedridden author in “Misery,” and Kate Siegel as a deaf author in the Netflix film “Hush,” which was released back in the spring.

Now, director Fede Alvarez does this in his horror thriller “Don’t Breathe.”  In what’s a step-up from his “Evil Dead” remake, which was his feature debut, Alvarez delivers a film that thrives on constant suspense, a simple, yet effective story, and skillful camerawork, setting an example of other mainstream horror films to follow.

Rocky (Jane Levy) is a young woman living in Detroit with her little sister, neglectful mother, and her mother’s boyfriend.  She hopes to leave with her sister someday and give her a better life in California, but needs the money to do so.  Her friend, Money (Daniel Zovatto), informs her and their other friend, Alex (Dylan Minnette), of a blind veteran (Stephen Lang) living nearby who has thousands of dollars stashed in his house.  Thinking it will be an easy robbery, the trio breaks into the man’s house.  They soon realize he’s not as defenseless as they anticipated, and when he traps them in his home, the robbers must do what they can to evade his wrath.

While the story doesn’t allow for much character development, the performances are fine for what the material requires.  However, Jane Levy is given a little more to work with as we learn about some of her background and see her home life, all of which helps us get more invested in her character as she places herself in this dangerous task.  With her performance being the best part of Alvarez’s “Evil Dead” remake and doing an equally good job here, Levy shows she could have a great career in horror movies, and should also be given more film roles in general.

The cinematography by Pedro Luque makes wonderful use of the dark.  He’s able to create considerable amount of tension with minimal lighting, while still keeping the main setting lit up enough so we can see what’s going on.  In one scene during the film’s second act, Lang’s character follows the robbers into his basement and turns off the lights, plunging his targets into darkness.  The film then switches to something resembling black-and-white night vision, and we’re put on edge as the robbers can’t see what’s around them, yet we can.

Although the screenplay by Alvarez and Rodo Sayagues carries a central premise akin to Terence Young’s 1967 psychological thriller, “Wait Until Dark,” the similarities end there.  And, despite the story mostly being a cat-and-mouse chase, it still offers a couple of surprises along the way to keep the concept from getting repetitive as it plays out.

While Alvarez steeped his “Evil Dead” remake in tiresome amounts of blood and gore, he exhibits a lot more restraint in his latest film and brings us the type of horror movie of which I would like to see him make more.  He’s able to keep the suspense going throughout the runtime and gets the most out of the film’s primary location, keeping us guessing as to what shocks are hiding around each corner and in every room.  After viewing “Don’t Breathe,” I can’t wait to see what Alvarez does to scare us next. 

Final Grade: B+