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Hello, everyone. As I mentioned in both posts regarding the schedule, the subject of this review was among those I had planned. It not only has a sequel set for release in the near future, but this review is also long overdue anyway. Despite the fact that the sequel was delayed another few months, it was originally set to come out around the same time the original did, hence why I am reviewing it now.
Much like 12 Monkeys focusing on a virus, this one has a theme that’s very topical right now as well, this being isolation.
However, unlike 12 Monkeys, the threat here is not a virus. It’s not something you can stop, but rather something where you have to adapt to what’s around you with how the world has changed in order to survive.
Folks, I finally present my review of one of my favorite horror movies in recent years… and that is A Quiet Place.
How poetic that I’m reviewing this in the new decade, then, because that’s when the movie is set.
During the year that in reality would come to be ravaged by something far worse, much of humanity has been taken out by mysterious creatures that hunt you down if you make any noise.
Over the course of a year, one family, the Abbotts, is trying to survive the best they can while staying completely silent.
What Worked: The plot is very engaging, and very straightforward. The world has been overwhelmed by creatures that track their prey by the sounds they make, and so we see how the remnants of humanity struggle to endure through the eyes of the family we follow here, the Abbotts.
You see that in the performances, which are excellent. Even the child actors are fantastic in this. The parents, Lee and Evelyn, are played by John Krasinski and Emily Blunt, who are also a couple in real life. That’s one of two things that bring a level of authenticity to the cast. Their relationship in the movie feels much more genuine because of it.
The other thing that brings authenticity here is with their daughter Regan, played by Millicent Simmonds. Both the character and the actress are hearing-impaired. The fact that they have an actress with the same disability as her character is reflected in the dialogue. The majority of the dialogue here is sign language, and she was actually able to teach them. It shows in the movie because one way the family has adapted is by communicating through signing. It even brings out some emotion, too, which I will get a little more into later.
The latter aspect in particular benefits the movie further because it was John Krasinski’s intention to have that, and he made the right call. This is worth noting because he not only acted in this, but he also co-wrote and directed it. It may not be his first movie (it’s actually the third movie he directed), but it feels like it is his directorial debut because of all the effort he put in behind the camera. It seems this is his first mainstream movie, though, so there is that.
It’s also because of his direction and the script that you are given a chance to connect with the characters through tension and intrigue. There are times where you’re really on edge because the creatures could be anywhere, and you want the family to survive. At the same time, though, you’re presented with some very memorable scenes, which are some of the most intensely nerve-wracking scenes when it comes to modern horror.
Throughout the whole movie, whether it’s in a suspenseful scene or a scene of downtime, you gradually learn more about the creatures, but not everything. You learn what the characters already know: The creatures are capable of running extremely fast, and they have hypersensitive hearing, despite being blind. Any sounds we would otherwise be used to, like creaking floorboards, for example, we have to be careful not to make, because they can pick that up in a second.
What makes these creatures scarier is the fact that neither us nor the characters know the bigger picture yet. We don’t know what they are, where they are from, or how (and to some extent why) they’re here. We don’t even know how to beat them.
However, this is one of those cases where we don’t necessarily need to know everything right away, as I’m sure the sequel will both expand upon what we learned here and give us new information.
Even so, it does provide enough details without slowing down just to make sure you’re caught up, as the story does that for you. It’s not set on Day 1, but rather well into the conflict already in progress. I actually thought that was more effective, because it just shows us what the situation is and how the survivors are dealing with it, and then goes from there while giving us all we need to know for now along the way.
Plus, it’s also very well shot, and the cinematography really conveys how bleak the atmosphere and tone are.
In addition to that, it keeps everything going at such a fast pace. When it does have calmer moments, it never detracts from the rest of the movie at all. The same goes for the more emotional scenes, which are genuinely touching, if not because of the accompaniment of Marco Beltrami’s score alone. Among his recent work, this is one of his best scores.
Now for the three things that stood out to me the most with this movie.
The first thing is the very menacing look of the creatures. The scenes where you see them more close up are some of the scariest scenes in the movie. For me, it felt like they took notes on what made the Alien’s look as scary as it was, and they definitely pulled it off.
The second thing is the most unsettling aspect of the creatures, and really the whole movie, and that is the sound design. For a movie that relies on silence, this still has some phenomenal sound design. It’s some of the best you’ll witness in what modern horror has to offer, and it rightfully deserved to at least be nominated. The sounds the creatures make are like the modern version of a certain other creature known for hunting…!*
The third (and biggest) thing is the message of the movie. Isolation may be a theme, but it’s more about how to adjust to it while keeping those close to you safe.
As for issues, when I first saw this movie, I had two. The first was a very minimal number of jump scares, of which I noticed at least one. The biggest one was that I felt there were some moments involving characters making stupid decisions.
Having watched it again, however, I realized what I initially believed to be issues actually served a purpose within the context of the story. There weren’t really any jump scares that were just there for the sake of being in the movie. The decisions I initially thought were stupid were either more natural or had a very important role in establishing certain scenes. Compared to all the smart decisions made throughout the movie, maybe those can be considered stupid, but on their own, they deserve more credit than I initially gave them.
Overall: A Quiet Place is one of the best horror movies in years. It has a compelling and original plot, constant tension, likable characters, great performances, and a very relevant message and theme with everything going on right now.
It is a bit of a survival thriller as well, and it has some sci-fi elements here and there with the creatures having come from somewhere else.
This is also one of the best recent examples of a horror movie that focuses more on its story and characters rather than jump scares and shock value. It shows that sometimes getting right into the story by showing the audience what the characters have been going through rather than what led to that point is better.
For those who are put off by blood and gore, there’s hardly any in this movie. It’s only in maybe one or two scenes, but that’s it.
For those who feel like getting into horror, you should be fine if you choose to get started with something like this.
It’s one of the more accessible ones out there in both regards due to being PG-13 rather than R, which shows that your movie doesn’t have to be rated R to be scary.
It’s the story and the visual presentation that matter most, and A Quiet Place nails it, from the cinematography and direction to the creature designs, all accompanied by some of the best sound design you'll find in a horror movie.
*There’s your Predator reference for this review.