BLU-RAY REVIEW

Don’t Breathe

Featured In Issue 212, December 2016

Picture4
Sound5
WSR Score4
Basic Information on new release titles is posted as soon as titles are announced. Once reviewed, additional data is added to the database.
(Studio/Distributor):
Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
(Catalog Number):
47100
(MPAA Rating):
R
(Rating Reason):
Terror, violence, disturbing content and language, including sexual references.
(Retail Price):
$$34.99
(Disc Type):
Single Side, Dual Layer (BD-50)
(Widescreen Edition):
Yes
(Full Screen Edition):
(Running Time In Minutes):
88
(Color Type):
Color
(Chaptered/Scene Access):
Yes
(Closed Captioned):
Yes
(Regional Coding):
A
(Theatrical Year):
(Theatrical Release):
Yes
(Direct-To-Video Release):
(Disc Release Date):
11/29/2016
(THX® Digitally Mastered):
(Director):
Fede Alvarez
(Screenplay/Written By):
(Story):
(Music):
(Director Of Photography):
(Production Designer):
(Visual Effects):
(Costume Designer):
(Editor):
(Supervising Sound Editors):
(Re-Recording Mixers):
(Executive Producers):
(Co-Producers):
(Producers):
(Academy Awards):
(Principal Photography):
(Theatrical Aspect Ratio):
(Measured Disc Aspect Ratio):
(Disc Soundtrack):
DTS HD Lossless 5.1
(Theatrical Sound):
(Theatrical Re-Issue Soundtrack):
(DTS Bit Rate):
(Dolby Digital Bit Rate):
(Additional Languages):
(Subtitles):

In Don't Breathe, three young thieves (Levy, Minnette, and Zovatto) fight for their lives after breaking into the home of a blind man (Lang) who has a dark side. (Gary Reber)

Special features include commentary with Director Fede Alvarez, Co-Writer Rodo Sayagues, and Actor Stephen Lang; eight deleted scenes with Director's commentary (HD 15:17); five featurettes: No Escape (HD 02:56), Creating The Creepy House (HD 03:51), Meet The Cast (HD 04:04), Man In The Dark (HD 03:17), and Sounds Of Horror (HD 01:49); upfront previews; and an UltraViolet digital copy

The 2.39:1 1080p AVC picture for the most part is very dark and requires a viewing environment that is dark and a display device with superb black level response. This is a critical requirement during scenes of complete darkness. While dark, the color palette is naturally hued, those colors are fully engaged in the lighting highlights. Such stylization is spooky effective. Under decent lighting, fleshtones are naturally rendered. Contrast is good, considering the overall darkness, with revealing shadow delineation. Resolution is quite good, especially during close-ups of facial features, hair, clothing, interior objects, and structural elements within the house and basement. This is a very haunting and tense visual depiction of terror that is charged emotionally. (Gary Reber)

The DTS-HD Master Audio™ 5.1-channel soundtrack is charged with powerful dynamics, especially gunfire and deep sub-25 Hz .1 LFE that is extremely powerful and can be system threatening. Atmospherics and Foley are nuanced and effectively eerie. The music score is powerfully bass emphasized and sound effect-ridden with all manner of unusual sonics. Surround envelopment is fully directionalized, which heightens the holosonic® sense of immersion. All throughout, dialogue is consistently intelligible, with decent spatial integration. This is a killer soundtrack that swings from absolute silence to crushing sonic intensity. Horror fans will be delighted. (Gary Reber)