Money (Daniel Zovatto) is a thief who’s ready at a minutes notice to rush into a new job, guns blazing, and take whatever he wants. His character is horrible not only for the fact that he steals from the unsuspecting citizens of Detroit but also because he is willing to take advantage of his girlfriend, Rocky (Jane Levy), and the the guy who cares very much for her--Dylan Minnette’s Alex. The story begins with these three characters robbing a house and making sure to leave no evidence behind. We quickly see a desperate transition from stealing only valuables, such as watches and electronics, to stealing cash for the benefit of not only these three, but Rocky’s sister, Diddy, as well. Writers Fede Alvarez and Rodo Sayagues do a phenomenal job of quickly presenting the audience with an overview of Rocky and her sister’s difficult life. They very adequately pull the viewers to her side and essentially leave them no option but to feel bad for her. The excitement begins shortly after this when the three decide to rob the house of a blind veteran. From this point forward, Alvarez perfects the suspense in the film and the audience is left praying that the three survive until the end of the film. Alvarez is a master of suspense, making sure that every moment of the film, once they enter the house, had the audience on the edge of their seats wondering what is going to happen next. The absolute best part of the film was Stephen Lang’s performance as The Blind Man. He so perfectly portrays being blind; the way he maneuvered, the way he reacted to sounds and movement throughout the house made me believe that he was blind and that he had spent many years that way. For such a simple film, the action sequences were enjoyable and I thought that they were done very well. They were neither too boring nor over exaggerated; they seemed to fit the scheme of the film and ultimately helped to keep it interesting. Through violence and suspense a story was told of a grieving father and a struggling sister trying to do what they could to help the people they love. While some of the things that took place throughout the film could be considered far-fetched, they are symbolic of the lengths that people will go to in order to protect or avenge loved ones. I thought the stories told and the way in which they were told perfectly complemented one another and, as a whole, made the film run smoothly. This thriller was full of the qualities needed to create a work of art and this film is just that. With the help of producer Sam Raimi, Alvarez put together a relatively unknown success. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4160708/?ref_=nv_sr_1
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