A Quiet Place (2018)

Movie Info

My sister gave me a gift…she hates me

The Earth has been almost wiped out. Creatures called “Death Angels” that rely on sound for hunting has killed almost all of humanity and most of the creatures of planet. The survivors of the death and destruction have lived by learning to live in silence and not to attract the hunters. After suffering a massive loss, Lee Abbott (John Krasinski), his wife Evelyn (Emily Blunt), and their two children Regan (Millicent Simmonds) and Marcus (Noah Jupe) are surviving at a small rural farm. With Evelyn expecting a child and the danger it could bring, the family is preparing for the worst…but a series of accidents could bring the danger to them.

Directed by John Krasinski, A Quiet Place is a horror thriller. The film was released to critical acclaim and a strong box office.  The film was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Sound Editing.

He’s looking at me…isn’t he

I like horror movies, and I like when I hear about a smart horror movie with good buzz. A Quiet Place had that. I liked the movie, but like a lot of horror movies, there are questionable parts…but overall the film is a tight thriller. A ******spoiler alert****** is in effect for the rest of the review.

The premise for the film is strong. The things you never think about when you are living day-to-day about noise. Closing doors, dripping water, and all the little noises that you make or hear that you never think about will come back to haunt you. The movie does a great job building suspense and scenes like the nail keep you on edge for a lot of the movie…seriously, could she maybe just mention the nail to other people to keep me from being nervous when anyone uses the steps? The movie does a good job answering questions about why the family knows sign language, etc.

The most horrific part of the movie…the nail

The questions in the script involve the intelligence of the people. If noise attracts or masks them, why don’t they just live near the waterfall (or plan to have the wife give birth there). If the guy is an engineer and craft a light system and fix hearing aids, why can’t he build a big speaker to draw away creatures if they need it? Lee could have just thrown some stuff, run or make noise to save his kids…there are other options (they might just want to hit a music store for some sound proofing or a hardware store for insulation).

The cast is strong. Krasinski feels far away from his Office character though I still have a hard time not seeing Jim when I see him. Emily Blunt has the hardest role because she goes through the most pain throughout the movie but constantly has to suck it up. Noah Jupe is kind of the forgotten character as the younger rother because Millicent Simmonds is a scene-stealer as the rebellious daughter Regan who producers sought out because she is deaf in real life (something that is always encouraged when dealing with characters who have disabilities).

Invite the new neighbors over…you said it would be fun

Krasinski also proves himself as a director. The movie continues to get more and more tense as the film goes on. The movie also does amazing things with sound. It becomes obvious that Regan is actually deaf immediately simply because of the sound editing of the film…I always like aliens, and the creatures are quite terrifying.

A Quiet Place was a nice surprise of a horror film. Like a lot of PG-13 horror the movie has to do more to build suspense (instead of simply giving gore and blood) and it succeeds. Some noted a pro-life statement with the film having Blunt risking bringing a baby into the world, but there might not have been many options. The success of the film has led to plans for a sequel…I’m voting for A Loud Place.