HAPPY OCTOBER! In honor of the spookiest month of the year, we (as in my boyfriend and I, I did not bring Margot to the theater, as much as I would LOVE to do that, BELIEVE YOU ME.) finally got out to see Don’t Breathe.
Since I don’t have college writing prompts anymore (bless), I did a little free writing and came up with essentially a pro’s and con’s list… Only then it turned out to be more of a pro’s and pro’s list. Spoiler Alert: this movie is the fucking bomb.
1) It’s a departure from all of the Amityville Horror plotlines I’ve seen lately. Maybe I’m just not looking hard enough, but I feel like ALL I’ve seen lately is child possession-- and while I love me a good child possession, frankly, it’s gettin’ real old. I’d love to tell you what the plot DOES include, but I’m not going to. I went into the film having seen nothing but the first trailer, and let me tell you, the zillion plot twists and turns and loop de fucking loops are KILLER (heh heh heh heh heh heh heh). I’m a big believer in seeing movies blind (HEH HEH HEH HEH HEH HEH) and this is one that I would definitely recommend seeing with as little prior knowledge as possible.
2) It’s also a departure from wacked out uses of mental disability. If I have to see one more horror movie where depression/bipolarism/you name it leaves the main character “more susceptible to hauntings, ooooooooo!” I’m gonna lose it. You know what Don’t Breathe doesn’t do? Use mental handicaps as a crutch. You know what it does do? Use a physical handicap as a superpower. Hell yes, thank you very much, good night.
3) Technique! Technique! The composition and coloring is the exact macabre beauty you want in your fall horror movie life, the sound design is incredible (definitely check this one out in theaters if you can or find a friend with some bass-y speakers), and can we talk about the infrared scene?? We can because it was in the trailer. This to me is an example of using a stylistic choice for a strong purpose. While horror movies will often go for darkness scenes just to be spooky, the darkness plays an integral role in the representation of a power shift here. Dope. Super dope.
WHY I HATED IT BUT ALSO LOVED IT (Cons but not really)
1) The kills are mega graphic. And while I don’t ENJOY looking at a close up of a dude getting shot in the head and his face all jigglin’ around, I can certainly appreciate it. I came to get scared, and boy was I scared. And disturbed. And disgusted.
2) [SPOILER ALERT] There is a super disturbing rape scene. And, as my boyfriend so aptly pointed out afterward, it’s not textbook-definition rape so much as it is forced insemination, and I’m shuddering in my loafers just typing that sentence. Sexual abuse scenes of any kind are always rough, but this one was particularly twisted. It accomplished the goal of creeping the absolute shit out of me, but also made me want to throw up all over the nice middle-aged ladies in front of me in the worst way.
3) I liked it too much and I want more movies like it, but also it was super original (call me out if I’m wrong) so I want something like it but also not like it… Life is so difficult sometimes, don’t you think?
Overall, it was amazing and horrifying in the best and worst way possible. I was, quite literally, holding my breath. Don’t get any unprepared spoilers, and go see it ASAP.
So there’s your daily dose of film degree word-vomit. Now for your daily dose of cute.
You’ve gotten my Love and Hate list, and now here’s Margot’s:
2) Running at the rug my mom knitted and sliding across the floor on it as many times as possible while we’re sleeping.
1) Receiving more pets than she specifically wants at any given time.
2) When we wake up and try to watch her play on the rug.
That’s all for us for now. Enjoy your first week of spooking, y’all.
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