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Silence is not only golden but potentially life-saving. This is the idea behind “A Quiet Place,” an inventive new horror flick directed by and starring John Krasinski. The film also stars Emily Blunt, Millicent Simmonds and Noah Jupe.
This suspenseful thriller follows the Abbott family and their fight to survive a deadly alien invasion. Earth is now home to a race of terrifying extraterrestrial creatures that hunt purely by sound alone. The foursome lives in total silence, protected by a system of rules and regulations that keep them fed, clothed, silent and safe. But when the unexpected occurs, the Abbotts find themselves separated and struggling to survive one fateful night. They must work together to defend their home without uttering a single scream.
The film is suspenseful, smart and utterly tragic. The opening scene masterfully blends horror and heartbreak. There is more than terror and jump scares to this fright flick. “A Quiet Place” also explores touching themes such as disability, love and loss.
The film is genuinely scary but is at times more frustrating than it is frightening. Watching the Abbotts stifle their shrieks and powering through one deadly situation after the next makes for one intense nail-biter of a flick. Blunt’s character especially finds herself in some harrowing situations that will have audiences doing the screaming for her. The action continuously builds, assuring that not a second of interest is lost. And though the dialogue is minimal, the unique storyline and commanding dramatics draw the audience in and doesn’t surrender them until the credits start to roll.
Krasinski and Blunt’s real-life romance makes for some brilliant on-screen chemistry between the two. Krasinski’s acting is as powerful as his directing is clever, but it is Blunt who truly rules the screen. The mother is thrust into moment after moment of peril and overcomes each with a masterful, convincing and relatable performance. She makes you cringe, and she makes you cry in the instances that her character can’t. Young Simmonds too proves to be a remarkable talent. Just like her character, Simmonds is deaf, which makes her portrayal frighteningly realistic. She is a shining and bold new addition to the cinema.
Speaking of bold, “A Quiet Place” makes a courageous leap as a semi-silent film and sticks the landing effortlessly. It’s lack of noise and dialogue forces the audience to focus on the smaller, yet more crucial aspects of the film such as facial expression and body language, direction and camera work. The utter silence also helps to create an edgy, stressful and deeply unsettling atmosphere, which makes the film’s few jumpscares really pop. The monsters themselves, a cross somewhere between the Predator and the Demogorgon from “Stranger Things,” are shown just enough to remain a relevant part of the film without taking too much attention away from the cast, but also stay hidden enough to establish the level of suspense that the story is built around.
The film’s ending is unexpected but also deeply satisfying. Pay close attention to the final moments. In a film where emoting is acting, this single glance from mother to daughter boasts a message of hope after a trying ordeal with an underlying tone of female empowerment, making it one of the flick’s truly applause-worthy moments.
All in all, “A Quiet Place” is a smart, original and much welcome breath of fresh air in the horror genre. It’s truly a silent film for the modern era that demands your attention and, once it’s gripped you, refuses to let go. “A Quiet Place” speaks volumes with nary the use of a single word.
