“A Quiet Place” proves that Hollywood has not yet run out of ideas as it delivers a thriller that builds a world filled with tension throughout the trip to the cinema.
John Krasinski from “The Office” writes, stars and has his horror-genre directorial debut in “A Quiet Place” and immediately establishes himself as a talent moviegoers will anticipate in the future.
Aside from a few nitpicks one could make about the world of “A Quiet Place” and the slower expository scenes within the first act, there are no noteworthy flaws in the film.
The film takes place a few months into an apocalyptic scenario where vicious creatures have invaded earth and are lurking around every corner and creeping in every bush, waiting to kill anything that makes a sound.
The slightest abnormal noise draws these beasts to maul anything that made it. The humans’ only advantage is that the creatures are blind and rely on their heightened sense of sound.
The audience follows a family that has managed to establish a way of life that allows them to acquire necessary goods while silent.
Though both adults and children know how dangerous sound is, mistakes are bound to be made, and when they are, there is often no escape.
A father, a mother, a deaf daughter, two sons and an unborn baby must survive these often tragic circumstances and remain united as a family without being able to talk to one another.
Starring in the film as the family is Krasinski, Emily Blunt and Millicent Simmonds, among other terrific actors.
For the majority of the film, none can speak a word to convey their thoughts, their love, their fear and their despair.
All the actors are effective in their roles, conveying emotion with clarity and relating just how hard it is to communicate with each other while silent.
The film focuses heavily on the unity and fabric of the family rather than the creatures. Surprisingly, it is one of the most anti-abortion films to exit Hollywood in a long time, as the father and mother show strong commitment to each other and their children, born and unborn. The parents are willing to sacrifice everything for children’s survival even though they are the greatest risks present to their own safety.
The intense focus on the family members and the strain the situation places on their love for each other makes all the characters engaging.
Krasinski masterfully directs this film, cleverly illustrating the stark contrast between silence and sound within the first few minutes while also making the audience aware of the terrible consequences of making even the slightest noise.
Terrific sound editing combined with creative cinematography and a strong script filled with relatable characters craft a film containing palpable scenes where suspense is never released for a cheap scare.
Additionally, as the film focuses on building tension throughout every scene, more emotional weight is provided to scenes that can only be described as touching examples of the strength and enduring power of love.
The audience is forced to contemplate how difficult life would be if one was never able to laugh, cry or scream in horror or frustration — to think of how devastating it would be never have any audible release of one’s pent-up emotions while living such a constrained lifestyle.
Ultimately, “A Quiet Place,” is a film that encompasses all of the best aspects of its genre.
A well-written script, relatable characters, terrific performances, incredible sound editing, thought-provoking cinematography and a persistent sense of purpose and tension throughout the film lead to it becoming a unique experience.
“A Quiet Place” is the perfect film to restore hope in mainstream horror in almost any viewer and is certainly worth more than one visit to the theater.
