Don’t Breathe #1 in Box Office Opening Weekend

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“Don’t Breathe” is a horror film that was released to the public by Screen Gems on Aug. 26. It made over $20 million its opening weekend, replacing Suicide Squad as the #1 movie in the box office its opening weekend.

Adaliah Collins, Editor

 To prepare for the upcoming fall season, production companies are releasing horror movies to the public. It’s no mystery that the quality of this genre has hit a drastic decline. While most films began replacing an intriguing plot for nothing but jump-scares around every corner, Ghost House Pictures and Good Universe collaborated with director Feld Alvarez to create a masterpiece.

    On Aug. 26, Screen Gems released “Don’t Breathe.”

    The film follows three young felons who make a living by committing larceny. One of the lawbreakers hears about an elderly war veteran who received a settlement thought to be $300,000 after his only child was involved in a fatal car accident. After much consideration, they decide to break into his home, and discover that not only is the neighborhood that he resides in is isolated, but that he is blind. To their dismay, the Blind Man wakes up before they can escape from the property, and reeks havoc among the three criminals as they uncover horrors in his home.

    With a $9.9 million budget, the film received $26,411,706 its opening weekend, and $67,564,854 million as of Sep. 12.

    Along with its financial success, “Don’t Breathe” was the only film able to replace DC’s “Suicide Squad” as the number one movie in the box office its opening weekend.

    Although the film did not do as well as its competitors, such as Kubo and the Two Strings and Sausage Party in its opening weekend, it received a positive review from IMDb (7.6 / 10) and Metacritic (71%).

    Before I saw the film, I was rooting for The Blind Man. Once his vices were exposed, I was left feeling confused about everything. Despite not knowing who to root for, the plot was well thought out and the jumpscares were far more superior to recent horror films.

    Some fans felt the lack of character development made it hard for them to grow attachments or feel sympathy for some of the characters, but I disagree. I believe that the movie was not trying to give a backstory to the characters.                             

    The creators left it to the audience about how to feel about the characters by making the audience feel as little empathy or pity as possible.

    To all who love horror films, Don’t Breathe is a movie you will not regret watching.