A Quiet Place Review

PG-13: Terror and some bloody images

Paramount Pictures, Platinum Dunes

1 Hr and 35 Minutes

Dir: John Krasinski | Written: Bryan Woods, Scott Beck, John Krasinski

Cast: John Krasinski, Emily Blunt, Noah Jupe, Millicent Simmonds

INTRO: I can’t stand it. I really can’t stand it. A movie that Michael Bay and his production company produced is great.  Not ironically great or just decent, but what I consider to be outstanding; and it’s all thanks to this guy:

A family is forced to live in silence while hiding from creatures that hunt by sound.

THE GOOD

Before I start off complimenting Krasinski’s skillful direction, let it be known this isn’t his first directorial feature. "A Quiet Place" isn’t the first time Krasinski sat on the director’s chair. He’s directed episodes of “The Office” and two independent comedy features. He also co-wrote a Gus Van Sant film with Matt Damon. Yet, none of the films he has written and/or helmed were the most critically-praised. Though Krasinski has directed films in the past, he’s never done horror. "A Quiet Place”, for the most part, is a suspenseful drama, but it’s brilliantly disguised as a horror. What you really have here is an emotional narrative about a family growing apart.

While you’re questioning why everyone has to be so quiet, the film goes ahead and opens with the reason. The Abbott family are actively forced to be so silent because the creatures they’re trying to outlast are these aliens who can detect sound. These creatures have such excellent 20/20 hearing that whenever little sounds are picked up, we dive into the insides of the creatures’ ears to see how they detect the sounds. It’s an effective aspect that actively raises the stakes. The film opens with a clear reason why silence is key and that opening doesn't only show off the rules that must be followed in order to survive, but also serves as an emotional rift for one of the characters in the movie.

Every movement that each character makes has you at the edge of your seat because if anything falls, trips, or just makes a loud sound, you squint in concern because you know that's their ass right there. With this family, everyone has a different characteristic. The son is anxious, the dad tries every day to make contact with other survivors, the mom is pregnant, and the daughter is deaf. This family isn’t dumb like other families in horror situations, but they also have enough character for you to root for. At the core, this family loves each other and you can see that. They communicate through ASL for the most part, which allows the movie to be more visual than verbal.  

As the film progresses, it becomes more brilliant than expected where everything that this family prepares for is cleverly thought out by Krasinski's direction. The Abbotts have ways to distract the creatures if they ever reach their home. They have safe places where they’re able to use their voices instead of speaking in sign language. Every nook and cranny of the Abbott’s lifestyle is mapped out and you commend Krasinski and his writers for creating this world while not having it be an open expanded adventure. A lot of the movie plays like a bottle film where the only setting is the Abbott residence. Krasinski plays on a small scale, but effectively keeps the majority of his story intense and emotional.

The sound mixing for this is incredible where characters have to be quiet while some want to be heard. The daughter, Regan, played by real life deaf actress Millicent Simmonds, is the emotional core of this story. Throughout the film we see her wanting to prove her worth to her father because of her disability in a world where sound is key. Because of this, a lot of the sound mixing is dedicated to focusing on the frequency of sounds so the audience can understand Regan’s desperate struggle and desire to hear.

THE BAD

Why are a lot of creature features good with the exception of how the creatures themselves look? I’m not going to lie; the creatures in “A Quiet Place” are decent VFX-wise as they integrate into the world well. The only issue I have here is the design of the creatures. Why? Because they look like demogorgons from “Stranger Things”. They move like them, die like them, and open up their faces like them. The demogorgons at least have a name. These don't. They’re just creatures. The only thing that sets them apart from demogorgons are their enhanced ability to expertly detect sound.

THE RENDY

Honestly, this is what the latest “Cloverfield” movie should've been. A post-apocalyptic world ruled by monsters and aliens that people have to hide from to stay alive? Sounds like a Cloverfield (not Paradox) movie to me. The characters are strong and likable enough to resonate with and the monstrous aspect plays similar to a B-story opposed to the main premise. I felt that with Paramount's previous release "Annihilation" and I feel it stronger with this film. And yet they're releasing another "Cloverfield" movie later this year?

LAST STATEMENT

 “A Quiet Place” finds Krasinski embracing his small-scale stories with an intense horror drama. It’s a thoroughly emotional story with well thought-out thrills and chills that will leave you wanting more.

Rating: 4.5/5 |91%

Super Scene: Creatures going ---->