A Quiet Place is a post-apocalyptic story about a family struggling to survive in a devastated world that’s been infested with viciously savage monsters that hunt down and kill anything that makes noise. When we first meet the Abbotts, they are raiding an empty store of its last merchandise, and from the quiet and careful way that Evelyn (Emily Blunt) handles pill bottles on a shelf (she’s moving them very delicately, as if they might explode) it’s quickly and effectively established that making any sort of noise in this scary new world is a very dangerous thing. We’re briefly introduced to one of the monsters in a horrific moment, just barely ten minutes into the film, that shows us that it is indeed a very dangerous world where nobody is safe.
John Krasinski, Blunt’s real life husband, plays her husband, Lee, and he also directs the film with a sure, steady hand. For the better part of the film’s running time, the story is conveyed visually, with the actors speaking through American Sign Language. Their daughter, Regan, is deaf (she played by the wonderful Millicent Simmonds, who is really deaf in real life). For the brief moments where they do speak, it’s explained that areas with constant background sounds--like that of a raging river, or a waterfall--serve as sanctuaries where they can speak freely. But for the most part, the actors are silent, and all of them--including the children--are superb.
Krasinski doesn’t shy away from creating a marvelous horror film that is truly frightening by keeping you on the edge of your seat from the opening moment. But the reason you’re on the edge of your seat is because he makes you truly care for these people as soon as you meet them. They are fully fleshed out characters, and considering the fact that the actors have had to convey their emotions (as well as the overall story) without speaking is an impressive feat. Blunt, who held her own in films like Sicario, and Edge of Tomorrow (where she stole the latter movie from Tom Cruise), easily makes her Evelyn a sympathetic heroine whom you root for.
But these people aren’t superheroes; they’re just struggling to survive in an increasingly hostile world through ingenious innovation (their farm is a doomsday prepper’s dream) and sheer tenaciousness. And with the film not having much dialogue, the use of sound--as well as the music--is even more noticeable, and sometimes nerve-jangling. Krasinski didn’t just create a really good horror film, he gave us a modern masterpiece--and I hope he gets to direct again. A Quiet Place should definitely be seen, if not heard. Because if they hear you, they will hunt you. Don't miss it. --SF
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