BrendanW 
I think as far as horror films go, I’ve said it time and time again that it’s been a so-so year for them this year so I’m not going to repeat that all over again every time I discuss the latest horror film. However, I would plop this film in a genre that’s more akin to a thriller moreso than a horror. It is a fairly terrifying little low-budget film but the way in which it evokes scares and tension is more similar to a thriller than a full-on horror film. I find it hard to explain that logic so I’ll just leave it at that. The real question remains: would this continue the decent horror movie trend that has been going on recently or would it plummet down much like the January releases at the top of the year?
The film’s plot is pretty basic: three burglars in Detroit plan on robbing an old man’s house as a “one last score” type of operation. The man’s daughter had been killed and he was paid a large settlement so that it never went to trial and they have an idea of where that money might be stashed. The three burglars in question are Rocky (Jane Levy), a girl who plans on using the money to get her young sister away from her drunken abusive mother and boyfriend; Alex (Dylan Minnette), who seems to be the sensible one of the group and doesn’t want to go with the plan originally until he is persuaded by Rocky, who he has a pretty big crush on; and Money (Daniel Zovatto), Rocky’s boyfriend who is definitely the aggressor and alpha male of the group. They realize that their target is a blind war veteran and figure it will be a walk in the park. Of course, it is anything but…
I’m a sucker for films that take place in mainly one location and use that whole idea of claustrophobia to their advantage. It worked for me in films like Saw and it works for me in a major way with this one too. The tension is very realistic and the situation feels real because there’s no insane instances of characters suddenly popping up in weird places or people being right in time at the right place (there is one instance of that but it is still pretty logical). One thing I liked too seems to be a problem in most other films. Whenever our antagonist is shooting at our heroes or lunging at them we always remark at how bad their aim is because they are constantly JUST missing them by an inch every time. Here, our antagonist is blind so of course he wouldn’t be a perfect shot. His other senses are heightened but it isn’t done in an over-the-top movie logic sort of way. He often misses with his gun, his accuracy is not pin-point and loud noises are able to mask the movement of other characters. He is not a perfect killing machine and it is so refreshing.
The script is very strong for a film like this that could simply coast on simple cliches and be a perfectly fine movie. This may not be the case for everyone but I actually started the film feeling sympathy for one side of this conflict and then immediately switched my cause once I became very aware about more details surrounding the events in question. The three characters are relateable as some will be able to feel their innate desperation for cash to better their current situation but with Lang, you can also feel his heartbreak and loneliness after losing his daughter and then simply being paid off. Nevertheless, like I said earlier, there are events that will change your perspective later in the film and it is certainly not something that was expected.
I should also mention that the film is rife with scenes that are very cleverly constructed, set up and executed. There are scenes involving Lang’s vicious dog that almost remind me of the beast owned by the evil couple in The People Under the Stairs. The dog is unrelenting and if the blind guy with the army experience wasn’t dangerous enough then certainly the killer dog hell-bent on violence would pick up the slack. The highlight for me is a scene in which our burglars have entered the basement and thus Lang decides to shut off the lights. While it makes no difference for him as he is always living in this darkness from day-to-day, the burglars stumble and make noise as they bang around, making it easier for him to spot and target them. The scene is also beautifully shot with a bright white filter and we see the dead in everyone’s eyes. It’s on par with some of the most beautiful scenes shot on film this year but in a much more macabre setting.
The trio of friends are all pretty decent acting-wise. Jane Levy is our lead and after a strong turn in Evil Dead, she once again conveys a nice mix of strength but also vulnerability and a feeling that she will do anything to accomplish her ultimate goal of getting her sister out of the hell-ish Detroit neighbourhood in which they live together. Dylan Minnette is the “nice guy” of the three but the guy has come a fairly long way since family-oriented films like Alexander and the No-Good, etc. and Goosebumps and can actually do something with the role to make it a bit more interesting than it would be with a lesser actor. Daniel Zovatto is mainly there just to get the story started and you will know that he isn’t really around for very long if you have seen the trailers. He does fine with his macho role though. The real star of this movie is Stephen Lang as our blind antagonist. He has some dialogue but he is mostly silent with large, vacant eyes. He does amazing things with his face in this role and conveys some really deep emotions without even speaking a word at times. This is definitely Lang’s showcase film.
What else can I say about this film? It’s excellent. Ghost House Pictures hasn’t had the best track record with quality films (The Grudge films, Boogeyman) but has also had a few solid ones lately (Drag Me to Hell, Evil Dead). Add this one to the list of good ones but is also easily the best of the lot and a very strong follow-up for director Fede Alvarez after the great work he did on Evil Dead.
**** ½
Rating System:
* (Brutal; the worst rating)
** (Some elements keep it from being awful but still not very good)
*** (Completely watchable; a rental as old-timers might say)
**** (Great film with a few things here and there keeping it from being perfect)
***** (Flawless; a true achievement)
