A Quiet Place – Film Review
Director John Krasinski proves himself to be a masterful director in the horror genre with his latest film, A Quiet Place.
In the near future, the Abbott family lives in an isolated farm-like area due to the results of a mysterious event that seemingly wiped out most of the population on Earth. With the event, unknown beings also appeared on the planet, who just so happen to have extremely good hearing, and if they hear an individual’s movements, they will kill them immediately. The Abbott family must live in almost absolute silence if they want to survive each and every day. This means they have to communicate with one another by the use of sign language. They also have to use replacements for items that would otherwise be loud – for example, instead of using regular plates for dinner, the family places their food on a big leaf of lettuce. One wrong mistake, one tiny sound, will end all their lives.
Krasinski directs the film and also stars in the film as Lee Abbott, the husband and father in the film, who also stars alongside his real-life wife Emily Blunt, who portrays Evelyn Abbott, his wife in the film as well. Additionally, their two sons in A Quiet Place are Regan (Millicent Simmonds) and Marcus (Noah Jupe). All four of these actors give absolutely brilliant performances here. Krasinski gives his greatest performance in his entire film career here, as he effortlessly shows real human emotions by means of just using his face, as his cannot is unable to speak due to the deadly consequences. The same goes for Blunt, who has a scene in the second act that is so suspenseful that it may be one of the scariest horror film scenes this decade.
John Krasinski as Lee Abbott in A Quiet Place (2018).
What is also surprising is how great the two child actors are here, that of Simmonds and Jupe. Sometimes it is difficult for a film crew to get child actors who are really great, but in the case of A Quiet Place, these two actors give some of the best child performances I have seen in quite some time. Their emotions also have to been shown with their facial expressions, but the one who pulls it off the best has to be Simmonds.
The cinematography in A Quiet Place is also beautiful and gorgeous to look at, shot by Charlotte Bruus Christensen. Rarely do horror films look truly beautiful while also looking brutally menacing and glum, but Christensen pulls it off with ease.
In terms of the actual horror elements to the film, they are amazing. Almost the entire film is chocked full of scares, and they never come across as cheesy, and it also does not feel like there are one too many scares, or too little. The scares that we get are the perfect amount, and they are each terrifying. In fact, each moment of true terror builds upon the last, making for one of the most white-knuckling horror film finales this decade.
Emily Blunt as Evelyn Abbott in A Quiet Place (2018).
An aspect of this motion picture I was worried about before seeing it, was its running time. The film is exactly ninety minutes in length, and I thought that it feel like such a short film and that I would not get the greatest experience. However, I was completely wrong. A Quiet Place never feels like it is too short of a film, nor does it feel too long. It feels like just the right length.
Something that truly caught me by surprise was how emotional the film gets. You feel so much sympathy for our lead characters because they are honestly just like us – normal human beings. Their lives were more than likely full of fun and joy before the event that caused the unknown entities on Earth transpired. The audience can relate so much to the Abbott family. Luckily, unlike a plethora of horror films, the characters we follow are not oblivious and dumb. So many times watching horror films, we cannot help but think to ourselves “Why would you go in that door?” or “Why would you go inside that dark basement?” and fortunately, the characters in A Quiet Place make smart decisions.
With A Quiet Place, John Krasinski effortlessly brings to life one of the scariest horror films this decade. It is also filled with amazing performances and gorgeous cinematography by Charlotte Bruus Christensen.
To watch my video review for A Quiet Place, please click this link: https://youtu.be/ew3bcHxTwFQ
Overall Grade: A+
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for terror and some bloody images
Cast: Emily Blunt, John Krasinski, Millicent Simmonds, Noah Jupe
Directed by: John Krasinski
Distributed by: Paramount Pictures
Running Time: 90 minutes