John Krasinski’s horror A Quiet Place is a great example of a decent premise that is finely executed. The film is very entertaining.
In a post-apocolayptic world, a family struggles to survive. Monsters with super sensitive hearing have wiped out most of the population, and the family must not make a sound if they want to survive…
With minimal dialogue, A Quiet Place does not necessarily strike viewers as a typical horror. Yet all the hallmarks of the genre are here; the uneasy atmosphere, the affecting use of lighting, and of course the monsters. Most associated with comedy, director, co-writer and star John Krasinski shows he can do horror too.
The narrative is fairly simple. The film follows the fortune of a family trying to survive in a world where they cannot make a sound. Krasinski and co-writers Bryan Woods and Scott Beck reveal little about what the creatures are, or how they came about. The film is better for keeping this mystery about the antagonists.
A Quiet Place develops the protagonists enough that viewers will care about their fates. The film does test this with Evelyn’s condition, which stretches credulity for a family that want to survive. Some of the tactics are heavily signposted, yet the film is very successful in ramping up the tension. There are a number of aspects which increase the sense of apprehensiveness, from Evelyn’s state to the unhappiness of Regan. The film is well paced, building to an expected yet exciting climax.
Emily Blunt delivers a great performance, as ever. Krasinski is also good as the father trying to hold everything together. Wonderstruck‘s Millicent Simmonds shines as Regan. Special effects in the film are decent, but the film is much more effective when it strips back to rely on lighting, editing, and sound design.
In a spate of critically acclaimed horror films, A Quiet Place holds its own. Not perfect, but a lot of fun.
A Quiet Place is out on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, and DVD from 13th August 2018.
I Heart The Talkies 