There’s just something about a good horror movie that is accompanied by an equally powerful audio arrangement. In a well done horror movie, audiences can be subconsciously trained to get worked up prior to impending doom actually coming to fruition on the screen. Anyone can throw gore and lazy jump scares at you. The real masters of the genre find ways to make your pulse race without breaking a sweat (check out this recent feature that singles out a few past greats from an auditory standpoint). The ears are just as important as the eyes when it comes to offering up an immersive moviegoing experience. One movie that’s been getting a lot of positive press is A Quiet Place which has finally become available for public consumption.
A Quiet Place begins seemingly mid-story, without much explanation of what has caused an obvious catastrophe. While a family searches for food and supplies in a store, there seems to be much emphasis on keeping their sounds to a minimum. As the family is own their way back after a successful replenishment mission, they are attacked by some type of creature. It soon becomes apparent that something has wiped out much of the population. Deadly creatures roam the area attaching anything and everything that makes a sound. The only way to survive is to keep quiet and don’t dare make a sound. Any missteps would be a deadly mistake. While in hiding, Lee (John Krasinski) provides protection for his family by training them on how to be quiet and contingency plans in case anything were to go wrong. With his wife (Emily Blunt) pregnant, there’s only so much that they can plan for.
John Krasinski has come a long way from days as a lead in the NBC sitcom, The Office. Lately, he has been more of a strong lead character that demands being noticed. He carries that trend forward in A Quiet Place where he acts with great passion and intensity. Given that he’s pulling double duty (he’s also the film’s director), it’s even that much more impressive. Emily Blunt gets to play a character that has a myriad of levels to her. One minute she’s vulnerable and the next she’s a power player. Though I suppose being a protective mother caring for her loved ones can do that for a person. The younger stars (Noah Jupe, Millicent Simmonds) are just as valuable as the veterans. Millicent Simmonds is particularly interesting as she is hearing impaired in reality and coached up her costars making their performances even more impactful.
From a technical standpoint, A Quiet Place really excels. The visuals are striking with rich details of life in a secluded area. Not getting full looks at the creatures that hunt is a good touch. There is just the right mixture mystery and reveal when it comes to what it looks like. The audio portion is what sets this production apart from other movies. There is no ambivalence when it comes to that. The initial several minutes of the movie is done as silently as possible and that sets the tone for what is to come. Anxiety will join you in the opening minutes and will stay around for the next hour and a half. Last summer another apocalyptic rural horror movie captured the attention of critics and audiences with It Comes at Night (2017). This is a better movie all around in every aspect.
Here’s the thing. After hearing the build up of the hype around John Krasinski’s sophomore directorial success, which started buzzing early as almost a month ago at the SXSW Festival, I was expecting grand results. My initial feelings on A Quiet Place did not have me racing out to write a glowing review of a genius masterpiece that everyone needs to take the time to see. This is a very solid thriller that is smartly written and well acted. There are still some aspects that lack the wow factor needed to elevate it into greatness. The intensity waned too much for my liking. It gets you on the ropes but fails to deliver that much needed knockout blow. Still though, there’s much to praise about this movie in its entirety and that’s why I give it a strong recommend. Hopefully you are able to watch it in a silent setting in order to feel the full effects of the quiet.
