It is always refreshing to see a film that isn’t a sequel, prequel or reboot become a smash hit at the box office. In a matter of days, Don’t Breathe has managed to make back its budget debuting with a strong $26.1 million. But can this cure Hollywood’s obsession with blockbuster films?
In short, no. Major studios have an obsession for a reason. They make money. Lots of money. Though for every Avengers, and every Star Wars, there is always going to be films that fall short. This year alone has seen a staggering number of proposed ‘blockbuster’ spinoffs and reboots flop miserably. From Alice Through The Looking Glass, Ghostbusters, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and the latest disaster, Ben-Hur. You would think that the studios might tighten their belts a bit. But yet again, the commercial wheel comes rolling round. Turning in film after film, boom or bust, it’s business over art.
Of course, there are always those films that break out from the ceiling predisposed by lower budgets and manage to tussle with the fat cats. The latest to do so is Don’t Breathe, a home invasion thriller that follows a group of teens as they attempt to get away with the ‘perfect’ heist… robbing a blind war veteran of his settlement cash. It is very hard to come up with an original idea for a film, almost all avenues have been explored and exploited countless times. As such, the idea of a home invasion is not original, the likes of The Strangers, Panic Room and The Purge have made filmgoers double check their doors long before this movie. So what it really comes down to is the direction.
Director Fede Alvarez manages to express his take on a home invasion with style and in a manner that leads the viewer to unpredictable frights. Also known for his work on Evil Dead, the Uruguayan filmmaker here explores the sense of being in the dark. Immersing the actors and viewers into the unknown. A feeling that terrifies even the toughest. It is this angle that gives Don’t Breathe its edge. But it begs the question, why aren’t there more films being made like this? There is obviously an audience for it and from an economical standpoint it’s good return on equity. Senior media analyst Paul Dergarabedian stated that:
“Horror movies always seem to find an audience. They are extraordinarily cost efficient. You don’t need a ton of money to make one. All you have to have is a darkened room and some people chasing other people and you’ve got a horror movie.”
Though fans of the genre would probably disagree with this formulaic deduction, to some extent it is true. Other horror movies that have seen this kind of success at the box office this year include, The Conjuring 2, The Purge: Election Year and Lights Out. However, what it boils down to is that major studios want the high profits associated with successful blockbusters. They are not exactly worried about how economical a film will be, just the bottom line – $.
With Don’t Breathe hitting cinemas this Thursday in Australia, let us know if you plan to see it and what your thoughts are on this issue.