‘A Quiet Place’ Film Review

Grade: A

When making ‘A Quiet Place’, I am sure that director (and star) John Krasinski thought of the phrase “Silence is golden”; almost every moment in this post-apocalyptic horror flick is free of dialogue. Instead, we are treated to a movie that speaks almost entirely in sign language. It was quite a skill for this small cast to learn, especially since teenage star-in-the-making Millicent Simmonds (who plays Krasinski’s and real-life wife Emily Blunt’s teenage daughter in the film) is actually deaf. Whatever it took, I bet that the making of ‘A Quiet Place’ was worth it in the end. Not only is it one of the most intense horror films I have seen in recent years, but also one of the more original entries in the genre.

The problem with horror in recent years is how much the genre seems to rely mainly on jump scares and gore just for the sake of shock value. While ‘A Quiet Place’ is not barren when it comes to the occasional “jump scene”, or images of blood (which is one of the reasons it is rated PG-13), its main tension relies on the characters having to be quiet for the remainder of the film. ‘A Quiet Place’ takes place in a post-apocalyptic future where humanity has been basically wiped out by a horde of blind monsters who only track down those who make noise (I am not sure if they have a name, but they are easily comparable to either the Demogorgon from ‘Stranger Things’, or the aliens from ‘Signs’).

It is now Day 89, and the only survivors seem to be the Abbott family, who have found a way to survive; they have resorted to communicating in sign language and walking barefoot, while making sure no one makes any noise whatsoever. From there, ‘A Quiet Place’ plays like a modern silent movie that would seem perfect for a short film, yet works as a feature film due to Krasinski’s direction. Krasinski (known mainly as Jim from the US version of ‘The Office’) shines not only from behind the camera, but on-screen as husband and father, Lee. Blunt also gives off a career-best performance as his pregnant wife, Evelyn; while Simmonds and Noah Jupe do fantastic as the children, Regan and Marcus. With all that went on during production, it is easy to see that Krasinski has made a well-thought-out horror film that will keep people either speechless, or talking about it long after the movie is over.