Movie Review: A Quiet Place

Last year, the film community was caught completely off guard when comedian Jordan Peele tried his hand at directing and delivered one of the sharpest horror films in recent years in Get Out. 14 months later, those shockwaves are setting in again with veteran actor John Krasinski, best known for his role as Jim Halpert on The Office, following the release of his sophomore directorial effort A Quiet Place,which is a confident, intelligent and nerve-racking horror flick that will more than likely be regarded as a seminal release in the genre for years to come.

As the trailers have done an excellent job of conveying, A Quiet Place tells the story of a family (Krasinski, his real-life spouse Emily Blunt, Millicent Simmonds, Noah Jupe, Cade Woodward-all excellent) trying to survive in a world that's overrun by mysterious creatures that use sound to hunt their prey. Any other specific plot/creature details would ruin the gratifying sense of ambiguity the marketing campaign established, but I will say that the characters inability to speak aloud or engage in just about any activity without the fear of being killed allows Krasinski to build one hell of an atmosphere. The outstanding sound design that turns every small noise into an uneasy, edge-of-your-seat moment combined with terrific cinematography that rarely gives you a clear look at the entities that are terrorizing the protagonists helps A Quiet Place from ever settling into the choreographed "loud music followed by a cheap jump scare" routine that's utilized by a lot of other supernatural horror/thrillers.

In addition to its distinctly thrilling atmosphere, A Quiet Place was also able to achieve an unexpectedly high level of emotional resonance. Beneath the near-relentless tension is a pretty poignant exploration of the extraordinary lengths parents will go to protect their children from harm as well as the cracks that can develop in this special albeit sometimes volatile relationship as a result of trauma, guilt and regret. Establishing the depth of this familial bond gave this story a strong sense of humanity and allowed every encounter with the entity to become even more harrowing.

If you have even a passing interest in seeing A Quiet Place, I'd urge you to go see it in theaters. Sitting in an auditorium that was on edge for 90 minutes was a visceral reminder of the sheer electricity that occurs when a horror movie connects with a large audience. It was a great experience that I'm glad I got to have, even if it means that I'm going to be super paranoid every time I hear a loud noise for at least the next week.  

Grade: B+