Movie Review : A Quiet Place

Directed by John Krasinski

 

A Quiet Place is probably the most ambitious project that director John Krasinski has directed to date, having only directed small projects in the past and some episodes of The Office. Sounds, or the lack there of, are replaced with periods of gracious silence, which points out what kind of a theatre audience member are you. Are you the one providing the commentary with a whisper, the one who swears they turned off their phone, or the loud snacker? Having seen this film twice, I relish the moments of profound silence as a motif for the thrills of the film, along side the beautifully eerie score from Marco Beltrami. This is why A Quiet Place is a great experience in theatres alongside other audience members. 

 

As the film opens up with the family going through a tragic loss on Day 89, the viewer becomes aware of one golden rule: be quiet. The film then flashes forward to day 400 (a year later), as we see the family members adjusting to their new lives in silence, some of the which are dealing with intense guilt following the tragic loss. The golden rule of silence is revealed to be a result of the monsters that lurk in the shadows, which are attracted to sound. We see the good of civilization, but also the end of civilization as we know it, when death is just a sound away. The film also questions the future of humanity as the credits roll, and a sequel is in the talks already. 

 

Besides some of the logical plot-holes that my friend pointed out to me on the first viewing, where a character is making way to much sound in the open not to be noticed, this is an innovative chapter for the silent thrillers. Krasinski hones his skills both on screen and off screen as a solid and ambitious directorial success. This is a sharp and clean looking thriller, that focuses more on framing the thriller, rather then using loud noises for jump scares, even though there are some good ones. As well, the human element that Krasinski brings out through the rich character dynamics, especially with Millicent Simmonds who plays their permanantly deaf daughter Regan. The family relies on American Sign Language as a means of communication and remains silent. This is best showcased with the loud monsters being turned silent when we slip into Regan’s point of view. This film is a true test for audience members to find out what kind of viewer they are, as the film begs us to remain silent with the central characters. 

 

4.5/5