Today’s quick review: A Quiet Place. One year after the Earth is overrun by creatures who hunt by sound, Lee Abbott (John Krasinski), his wife Evelyn (Emily Blunt), and their children (Millicent Simmonds and Noah Jupe) are among the few survivors. The family grows their own food, scavenges what they can, and avoids making any noise that might attract the creatures. But their tenuous safety is shattered when one of the creatures finds them.
A Quiet Place is a survival thriller with horror elements. A Quiet Place depicts a dangerous world where the slightest sound means death. The movie mixes grounded family drama, smart cinematography, and raw suspense. The creatures are impossibly fast hunterse with sensitive hearing and impenetrable skin. The only way to survive an encounter with one is to hide in silence until the creature moves on.
A Quiet Place wrings a surprising amount of tension out of this simple premise. The most overt tension occurs when the creatures are stalking through the house, listening for their prey. But even the quieter moments hold an implicit threat: a single noise can spell disaster. The film does a skillful job of managing its tension. The early parts of the film set the stage for what is to come, and the immediate danger is broken up by short reprieves.
The other half of the equation is family. A Quiet Place takes the time to establish its characters and how they depend on one another. The Abbotts are a close-knit family trying to survive in a harsh world. The tensions between them are justified, but their love is even stronger. The film’s investment in its characters pays off in suspense that actually means something. There are no superfluous characters, so every brush with the creature is significant.
A Quiet Place ties it all together with sound. The film pays close attention to its sound profile, clearly tracking every creak, sigh, or footfall, so that the audience can feel just when the characters are at risk. The Abbotts rarely speak out loud, communicating instead through sign language and facial expression. The film’s soundtrack is sparse and muted. The result is an engrossing watch that conveys a lot with few words.
A Quiet Place does have a few shortcomings. The individual scenes are tense and imaginative, but taken together the pattern becomes clear. The creatures’ tendency to linger nearby means that any safety the characters earn is temporary, whether or not they manage to stay quiet. The Abbotts also make a couple of mistakes in their response to the creature, although their many smart decisions more than make up for them.
Try out A Quiet Place if you’re interested in finely crafted suspense with an unusual amount of heart. Its unique premise and impressive craftsmanship make it a worthwhile watch for anyone willing to brave its unnerving creatures and heavy tone. Skip it if you’re looking for overt horror, action, or schlock. For a survival movie with more action and a similar tone, check out I Am Legend.
8.1 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 7.5 for high tension, polished presentation, and a strong emotional core.