A Quiet Place (Review)
The Silence is Deafening in A Quiet Place
A Quiet Place had a rather mysterious marketing campaign as it was never made clear what exactly what going on in the film. Walking in with such vague expectations for it though proved to make the movie all the more compelling. John Krasinski manages to knock it out of the park playing double duty as the star and director of this dark sci-fi horror film with a unique twist. That being said, it’s a movie that is so jarring for so much of it, that it’s difficult to sit back and enjoy much of it.
There’s no way of knowing what happened before the credits begin rolling in A Quiet Place. The audience is suddenly taken to a new world where society has fallen to mysterious creatures that hunt by sound. At the center of this world is a family trying desperately to survive these deadly predators constantly lurking just out of sight, waiting for one slip up to seize their chance with deadly consequences. As such, the family has adopted an intense vow of silence. Making sure to make no sound as they carefully walk barefoot on pre-approved paths and communicate with sign language. As perfect as their methods might have been, their luck eventually runs out as they’re forced to fight for their lives.
I really liked A Quiet Place, but it left me with so many questions. Where did these creatures come from? How did they manage to destroy civilizations? Don’t we have a military? Of course, most of these questions have little to do with the story that does unfold on screen, because it’s not a movie about the end of society, it’s about what happens after that. Still, it’s hard to push these thoughts out of your head simply because you become so invested in the survival of the characters your mind will race to demand reasons why they are so unsafe.
Pushing those aside, I have to admit that A Quiet Place is incredibly well done. It’s horror without unnecessary gore. Instead, it’s all about the suspense. It builds and builds for the majority of the movie, never showing more than it has too and letting the characters body language and expressions show just how scared they are. Krasinski manages to convey everything while his characters barely say a word throughout the entire film. That doesn’t mean they don’t speak though, as the film embraces their use of sign language, a skill the family has due to the daughter being deaf (played by real-life deaf actress Millicent Simmonds). Of course, you don’t have to be fluent to read the characters though as Krasinski focuses on subtle body language and expressions to tell their story.
A Quiet Place is a movie that benefits from how small it is. There are only about seven people who actually appear on screen and the majority of it takes place on an isolated farm. This proves to be an incredible choice that manages to emphasise that it is a tale of survival, and not just about personal survival, but making your families survival the most importnat thing in the world. It’s a far cry from most post-apocalyptic films that feature heroes fighting to reclaim a lost world and sense of society. No, this is the tale of a family that just wants to keep each other safe and make it to see another day. It’s a heavy film that portrays the weight that Krasinski and his wife, Emily Blunt have to carry on their shoulders. There’s no way of knowing how they will survive or if they can, but they need to stay strong and brave for the sake of their children.
As unique a story as A Quiet Place is, I couldn’t have but be reminded of so many other movies and shows I had seen by it. The creatures themselves are vaguely reminiscent of the demogorgon from Stranger Things. The themes and setting also brought up memories of It Comes at Night. Of course, A Quiet Place is far from a blatant rip-off and remains an incredibly original film, but these recent modern influences can be seen throughout it.
A Quiet Place is not a perfect movie, but it’s an incredibly well made one. It’s easy to appreciate the vision behind it and the cast is simply extraordinary. It’s a movie that is scary without relying on the tricks and tropes you see in so many modern horror films. Its use of ASL is not only something you don’t see too often in movies but only adds to the suspense of it all. Without the cast chatting it up, laughing, or spouting sentimental drivel, you slowly become hyper-alert to every sound and when there is no sound at all. A Quiet Place was an ambitious undertaking because so much could have gone wrong. However, Krasinski manages to knock it out of the park and prove that he is a talent that will become so much more than just Jim from The Office.
