By Travis Johnson
In the US, Don’t Breathe has knocked Suicide Squad off the top of the box office, relegating DC/Warner’s crims-on-a-mission film to the teetering pile of expected blockbusters that under-performed this year. With a take of $26.1 million over its opening weekend, it’s already in profit – and yes, that’s including the marketing budget that everyone suddenly became an expert in over the past few months when they realised they could try to beat Ghostbusters to death with their assumptions about the cost of film advertising.
But we digress! With the 2016 BO being such a bloodbath* it’s apt that a bloody-handed little thriller has done so well. Horror movies have historically managed to profit in times when bigger, ostensibly more popular, fare has struggled – there’s something to be said for manageable budgets and a dedicated, loyal audience. If Don’t Breathe manages to hold onto the top end of the money tower for another week or two, expect a slew of similar projects being rushed into development as a hedge against the expected Great Box Office Kerfuffle of 2016. In the meantime, here’s a clip.
*Real talk: only Civil War, Finding Dory and Sausage Party have brought home enough bacon to make their parent studio happy this year; every other mainstream tentpole has floundered, with a huge number tanking completely.
