I have said it before but I will say it again. We are living in the era of horror movies and they keep coming almost on weekly basis. Surprisingly a good number of them are really good films. After GET OUT and IT broke box office records last year, A QUIET PLACE is doing the same this year. Just like GET OUT, this film is not your typical horror movie. It is an old fashion thriller with no cheap scares and a lot of originality. The sound of silence in this film is actually a character. I have experienced more edge of your seats moments in other films, but that is not the point here as A QUIET PLACE is a combination of a lot of things and unexpectedly all of them work.
Even though we don’t get a lot of backstory in the film, we are introduced to a family of five members on day 89 after the start of an invasion by some scary alien creatures who seem to have destroyed our known world. Those creatures are drawn to sounds only so staying alive means moving far away from cities and pretty much not talking or making any sound whatsoever. The film revolves around this family and their battle to survive as long as possible in a dying world for humans. John Krasinski and Emily Blunt play the roles of the father and the pregnant mother. They are real life partners and their chemistry is so natural in this film that I can easily say it’s the film’s biggest asset.
John Krasinski also directed the film and his creative work with the camera angles and the background sounds works to a very effective level. Even his acting was fantastic along side Blunt’s amazing performance as well. The film comes off as a very moving family drama in a sci-fi setting. Even though the tension is heavy and maintained very well throughout the film, it is as effective as it is because the strength of the cast and how they kept making all the proceedings really believable in a short 90 minutes. The acting is simply brilliant across the board and the most exceptionally organic performance in this film comes from actress Millicent Simmonds as the deaf daughter (Simmonds herself is deaf in real life) and it is another casting bulls-eye.
It is not the scariest film in the decade or even the most tension filled, but A QUIET PLACE works on all levels and that is a better achievement than just being labeled as the scariest film of the year or the decade. It is a drama, a thriller, a scary film, a good story, and a showcase of some amazing acting.
Rating: 8/10
A QUIET PLACE is now in theatres.