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Dec 25, 2018Nursebob rated this title 3 out of 5 stars
As if portraying a blind war hero as both pitiful victim and psychotic bogeyman isn't hard enough to swallow (although Stephen Lang’s grizzled beard and milky contacts put him firmly in character), director Fede Alvarez offers the usual ridiculous twists and groan moments—I lost count of the number of times everyone COULD have escaped—and then tacks on a silly "Silence of the Lambs" backstory so full of implausible holes that the entire production should have sank. Only it didn’t. The film’s sheer chutzpah manages to propel it past its own potholes and Alvarez displays a real talent for turning the highly unlikely into a riveting thriller set in a funhouse full of way too many doors and hallways. A few clever tracking shots float past ceilings and walls as the three robbers try to get in (and then out) and night vision camerawork hasn’t looked this creepy since that little demon kid scraped her toenails along the floor in 2007’s "[REC]". Hell, even a growling nod to "Cujo" is pulled off with a straight face that dares you to crack a smile. And it’s all fired off with so much suspenseful gusto that it isn’t until after the credits finish rolling that you realize you’ve been had. A bit of advice however, if you’re squeamish about semen you may want to close your eyes—you’ll know when.