Don’t breathe
Or speak.
Don’t dare
To peek.
You thought
Him weak,
But he’s
A freak,
And you’re
Dead meat
If not
Discreet.
If you
Should meet
Upon
The street,
You’d think
Him meek,
A sad
Antique.
But now,
You sneak,
Try not
To shriek.
The floor
Could creak
Or your
Heartbeat
Could bring
Defeat
In dark-
Ness bleak.
You hide;
He’ll seek.
___________________

MPA rating: R (for language, brief violence, disturbing plot elements)

As horror movies go, I must admit that Don’t Breathe has some seriously false advertising; there was a surprising amount of breathing on display. But I won’t hold that against this Fede Álvarez nailbiter because it’s exactly the kind of horror movie I prefer, one built on tension rather than gore, as well as an unconventional villain.

Three Detroit burglars – Rocky (Jane Levy), Alex (Dylan Minnette), and Money (Daniel Zovatto) – are eager for a big haul and, despite some second thoughts, decide to rob an old blind man named Norman (Stephen Lang), a veteran who supposedly has hundreds of thousands of dollars hidden in his home. Underestimating the homeowner, the trio are soon faced with a far more formidable threat than they would have expected, one with secrets and well accustomed to the dark.

Don’t Breathe starts by playing with your sympathies. Needing money to escape her abusive home life, Rocky at least has a good reason, but just the notion of stealing from a disabled veteran feels especially wrong. Yet the tables are quickly turned when Norman proves to be ruthless and depraved in his own way. From there, it’s a highly entertaining game of cat-and-mouse as the robbers seek to stay quiet enough to outwit the threat, his lack of sight proving to be a boon and a liability in various situations.

Levy and Minnette are great under stress here, while Lang makes for an iconic antagonist, quiet, pitiless, and more tenacious than you’d ever expect from a senior citizen. With its dark locked-down environment and tense chases, I can see why Álvarez was a good choice for Alien: Romulus. If he can make even an old man scary, he clearly knows what he’s doing in the horror genre.

Rank: List Runner-Up

© 2026 S.G. Liput
798 Followers and Counting

He fed me this morning and ruffled my ears.
I licked at his face, and it tasted like tears.
He packed up and moved for the first time in years,
But I love him.

The new place is dusty; he gave me a tour,
And when it gets dark, from behind the closed door,
I hear things, like… crying? It’s hard to be sure,
But I love him.

I’m getting this feeling that something’s not right:
The coughing continues long into the night.
He hugged me a while and a little too tight,
But I love him.

My ears could use ruffling, my bowl needs a fill.
The house has a definite desolate chill.
He’s not waking up; I’m not sure if he will,
But I love him.
_____________________

MPA rating: PG-13 (brief language, intense scary moments)

While it might be tempting to write off a horror film built on a gimmick, it all depends on how well it delivers on said gimmick, and it’s a treat when it does. Good Boy made some waves last year as “the scary movie with the dog,” even landing a historic acting nomination and win for its canine star Indy at the Astra Film Awards. It’s a credit to animal actors in general, though I would say that performance owes more to the direction and editing than the dog himself.

If you’ve ever joked or wondered about your pet reacting to the supernatural as an explanation for odd behavior, Good Boy takes that idea and runs into the dark cellar with it. A Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever, Indy belongs to first-time director Ben Leonberg in real life and to the ailing Todd (Shane Jensen) in the film, who deals with an unspecified lung disease by moving into his grandfather’s abandoned house in the woods. While Todd, his face always out of camerashot since everything is from Indy’s point of view, explores and reminisces without much concern, Indy is able to notice the increasingly hostile presence within the house, hiding within shadows and preying on his owner’s worsening health. But what is a dog to do against such a dark force?

Like another film I hope to review soon No One Will Save You, I am fascinated when a film manages to tell a compelling story with a minimum of dialogue, letting character come through via action and expression alone. While there is dialogue from Todd and a few others, Indy is clearly the star, and the surprisingly dark tale of death and grief that plays out is as affecting as it is because of his naturally lovable role and his clear love for his master. Restricting the camera to his level also breeds a fantastically foreboding atmosphere, letting him encounter creepy things that a dog surely doesn’t understand and allowing uneasy dread to morph into some expertly delivered jump scares.

While it’s debatable whether a dog actually deserves an acting award, I think the film absolutely merits its accolades. The editing especially sells Indy’s reactions, thanks to the Kuleshov effect, which wrings emotion and meaning from one shot (like the dog’s face) based on what was just shown before. It certainly makes me curious to see what Leonberg’s next film will bring. Good Boy surpasses its simple premise, serving as both a technical showcase of human and canine talent and a darn good haunted house flick.

Rank: List Runner-Up

© 2026 S.G. Liput
799 Followers and Counting