WARNING: The following article contains discussions of sexual violence.
Don't Breathe 2 is set to release this month, but here's an explanation for whether or not The Blind Man is going to be a hero or a villain in the horror-thriller sequel. The original Don't Breathe came out in 2016, introducing a group of three young thieves from Detroit who initially seemed to be cruelly targeting a blind man who lived alone. However, the character who went by the name of Money had an early line that succinctly foreshadowed the rest of the film: "Just 'cause he's blind don't mean he's a saint, bro."
Indeed, the antagonist, who's now known to be weapon-proficient Gulf War veteran Norman Nordstrom (Stephen Lang), turned out to be far from saintly. He killed two out of three of his intruders, and, though they had broken into his house and there was a case for self-defense, there wasn't anything remotely close to an excuse for the horrors he had locked in his basement. It turned out that, prior to the events of Don't Breathe, Nordstrom's daughter was accidentally killed by the woman he'd been holding below ground. Since she had gotten away with it all from a legal standpoint, he took matters into his own hands by kidnapping her, impregnating her with a "replacement" child, and planning to hold her hostage until she gave birth.
One main character, Rocky (Jane Levy), escaped from Nordstrom's house, but when the movie ended, the blind villain was still out there. Now, Nordstrom is set to make his return in Don't Breathe 2, which will release on August 13th. This time, however, it looks as though he'll be portrayed in a much more favorable light. The sequel will feature him trying to rescue a young girl from another group of intruders. Don't Breathe 2's storyline forces audiences to ask themselves whether or not Nordstrom is still a tragedy victim-turned-villain or has become a sort of hero who's atoning for some of his sins. It's a controversial question given what he put his daughter's killer through, in addition to what he was trying to accomplish with his "replacement" child and how he was looking to use Rocky for the same reproductive purpose prior to her escape.
It's certainly a tricky line for the film to walk. On one hand, portraying three-dimensional characters is part of what elevates certain media to the next level. The past twenty years, in particular, have brought forth some of the greatest TV antiheroes of all time, like Tony Soprano, Walter White, Cersei Lannister, and more. Big-budget Marvel films have built a cinematic universe on sympathetic villains. And semi-recent projects like 2017's I, Tonya and The Assassination of Gianni Versace also flesh out nuanced pictures of those who are widely (and rightfully) demonized, explaining their stories and all they've been through. Surely, Don't Breathe 2 can pull off the same kind of antagonist-protagonist role reversal and elicit sympathy for a character who's done terrible things.
Even so, though the feat can most likely be accomplished, there are still risks involved. After all, Nordstrom did heinous things in the original Don't Breathe and showed no signs of remorse. He's a rapist who has kidnapped and held someone hostage. He might be able to save a young girl in the upcoming sequel, but that certainly doesn't cancel out the sins of his past. In addition, any kind of fuller picture of who he is or backstory that might be explained shouldn't be seen as a "pass" for his behavior. Don't Breathe 2 is a long-awaited follow-up to the highly original 2016 hit. It will undoubtedly garner a notable audience and be effective like the film before it, but making Norman Nordstrom the protagonist is a significant and nuanced undertaking and one that will rightfully challenge the audience.
