It’s the weekend again, and that means Film Focus. Here’s Mike Laidman with what’s new in local theaters.


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This week we take a look at horror movie Don’t Breathe, which is the latest film to join the ranks of what once seemed so rare: an R-rated thriller that is genuinely good, and doesn’t just rely on cheap scares and gore to get at you.
We have to wait one more week for The Infiltrator, however, the latest showcase for Bryan Cranston’s talents.
For now, though, buckle up as we dive into the deep end with Don’t Breathe.

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Mike Laidman

Welcome to another edition of Film Focus. I’m Mike Laidman.

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Don’t Breathe (2016, Fede Alvarez)
Three thieves break into the house of a blind man.

The premise here is as straight-forward as it gets, and is an easy way to get right into the meat and potatoes of what the movie is about.

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.
And that sums it up perfectly. Don't Breathe smartly twists its sturdy premise to offer a satisfyingly tense, chilling addition to the home invasion genre. And it’s simplicity? Well, it’s all the more effective for it. The suspense is carefully built up, with the camera taking time to explore and linger over every dark corner. The movie is claustrophobic and intense, and really doesn’t slow down and release you until the final credits have rolled.

Chalk up another win for the low-budget, but meticulously-crafted new age of horror that has been gracing our screens for the past few years.

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The Infiltrator (2016, Brad Furman)
A US Customs official uncovers a plan involving Pablo Escobar.

Based on a true story, U.S. Customs agent Robert Mazur goes deep undercover to infiltrate Pablo Escobar's blood-soaked drug trafficking scene plaguing the nation in 1985 by posing as slick, money-laundering businessman Bob Musella. Navigating a vicious criminal network in which the slightest slip-up could cost him his life, Mazur risks it all building a case that leads to indictments of 85 drug lords and the corrupt bankers who cleaned their dirty money, along with the collapse of the Bank of Credit and Commerce International, one of the largest money-laundering banks in the world.

It’s a pleasure to sit down and watch some talented actors light up the screen. It’s too bad that they didn’t have a little more to work with here, though, as that’s the only area in which The Infiltrator is really lacking. This isn’t enough to really derail the film, and so fans of the genre and of Cranston, should definitely shortlist this one.