Sit silently for a minute and you will realize how loud the world around you is. You start to notice the sound of your breath, the sound of your chair squeaking under you, the sound of rude strangers in the theatre. A Quiet Place forces every movie-goer to experience a new kind of horror.
As the final credits roll at the end of A Quiet Place two things become painfully obvious. For one that you can finally exhale that breath you where holding in throughout the final act of the film in fear. But, more importantly, that the scariest take away from the film comes in the realization that this is the second critically acclaimed horror/thriller in as many years that has come from former comedians.
John Krasinski, better known for his stint in The Office, not only stars but directs this film. Alongside with his spouse, Emily Blunt, the viewer is transported to a post-apocalyptic world where what we can only presume are aliens hunt the remainder of the human race. The kicker is announced at the start of the film as a newspaper warns you that these creatures hunt singularly by sound. This becomes the most important thing throughout the rest of the film as sound becomes the monster.
This film succeeds in many areas. It is well shot. The set design and ambiance of the film are well established. The performances from the actors are fantastic. However, this films' success has everything to do with the manipulation of its genre. I would file this as a horror/thriller, never really able to be just one. However, while most films of the same genre use music to cause anxiety and suspense, A Quiet Place achieves the same effect with pure silence. This silence is not only important to the film but instilled into the audience. I found myself hanging on every small noise, which added to the every increasing suspense the film builds in the first two acts.
Pair this with truly remarkable performances from the actors and I found myself forgiving the movie for using jump-scares as its main scare tactics. Krasinski and his wife alongside there two younger co-stars are forced to use facial gestures as their main tool of expression, as dialogue is all but absent throughout the runtime save for a few small moments. Yet the true standout was Millicent Simmonds. Her portrayal of the eldest daughter of the family was nuanced. Added to her real life deafness, the film plays off of her character countless times to great effect, especially in the final moments. These key scenes are filled with sound due to the action happening on screen but is juxtaposed with point-of-view shots with Millicent's character where the sound disappears.
The only places the film falls short is when it abandons the "no sound" premise. Throughout the film music plays but in some moments it is the most prominent thing. These moments are needed to allow the audience to relax a bit yet there are one too many times where the music breaks the tension. The movie also abandons the premise almost entirely in the final act. Only using silence as a forewarning to a jump scare.
A Quiet Place is a fantastic study on how to flip genre norms. Alongside with spectacular performances by the small cast and moments of suspense and anxiety, the film is one of best horror/thriller films to be released to a mass audience in the last couple years. Although it does have some faults it is ultimately a spectacular experience. One that will have you holding your breath until the very end.
