Fede Alvarez takes over the reigns again in his first feature since 2013’s blood spattered masterpiece “The Evil Dead.” A film that should be able to please diehard genre fans, and offer some relentless thrills for those just along for the ride. “Don’t Breathe” as the title begs of it’s lead protagonists, is effective in how it establishes the build up, but struggles towards the climax. The set-up includes a trio of cat burglars, Rocky (Jane Levy), Alex (Dylan Minnette) and Money (Daniel Zovatto), that receive a tip on a huge payday. Graduating from stealing petty household items like shoes, necklaces, and anything else that can turn over a profit, they head out to the burbs of inner city Detroit hoping to cash in on a recluse blind man’s (Stephen Lang) $300,000 settlement he received for a horrible car accident.

This almost seems like a surefire plan.

Alex’s dad owns a security company, so he has access to many resources that normal burglars wouldn’t, so it’s somewhat ironic this is the type of business he is into. Of course, as with any horror film, someone has to point out how wrong it is to rob such a helpless old man, only before discovering he isn’t really helpless at all.

In fact, he’s fairly capable.

We find this out as the old cuss wakes up from his slumber in the middle of the night, and begins taunting his warlike attributes (how quickly he can defend himself against intruders), and reaping havoc as he tries to execute the gang one by one. This exercise in scare tactics seems to work for Alvarez, who substitutes the blood and guts of “Evil Dead,” for a more taunt defining thriller. Scenes which show Rocky and Alex (holding their breath) while the old man walks around unknowing of their presence is cringeworthy, he turns off the power, and it’s pitch black for a few minutes. The best part is that most of those moments are played without any music, so we, as the audience, are left to our own thoughts. Something which makes going home a little more difficult.

Stephen Lang (you know, the bad guy from “Avatar”) almost seems like the perfect candidate for this troubled blind man, who has more of a back story then you might think. I won’t go into details, but it’s clear the Alvarez wanted to give his characters dynamics, that way we could actually care about what was happening, despite their raw intentions. For instance, Rocky has a little sister who she wants to take with her and move to California, and Alex has a ill father. At times, we are made to sympathize with these characters, including The Blind Man, which, when you find out his ACTUAL agenda, is a tough pill to swallow.

Despite the film never really understanding the concept of “an ending” and Alvarez making a poor decision to start the movie the way he did (it almost spoils the entire plot). At least, “Don’t Breathe” tries to elevate itself to a new standard. Perhaps it want’s to be better than what’s advertised, but can’t quite muster the integrity to do so. Not to mention, the scares and thrills come at you so fast, you sometimes forget to be terrified, while some of them work, others fail to slip through the cracks.

Don’t be fooled though, “Don’t Breathe” still has enough of the good ole’ fashion spooks, that even this critic could walk away not intrigued. B