A Quiet Place will have you shaking in your silent boots
If they hear you, they hunt you! A Quiet Place uses silence, sign language and scary monsters better than any film we’ve seen. You’re in for a tense, entertaining and jumpy ride with this one.
John Krasinski and his real-life wife Emily Blunt star as Lee and Evelyn. Alongside their two children, one of which is deaf, they are survivors in a post-apocalyptic America that has been overrun by mysterious killer monsters. This particular beast is blind so it relies on its heightened hearing to catch you. Adding to the tension is the fact that Evelyn is also heavily pregnant which begs the question – how is a screaming baby going to survive where making noise is a death sentence?
Krasinski wrote the screenplay and also steps into the director’s chair for the third time in what could have been a bulk standard sci-fi horror. However, through beautiful sound design, he’s created a truly exhilarating and frightening film. His use of intense and prolonged periods of silence or white noise created the perfect atmosphere for this eerie silent ghost town world. He also puts the viewer in the shoes of the characters by letting you see and hear their perspective via the direction. It really is spot on, using jump scares to their full potential.
Back in front of the camera, Krasinski brings just the right amount of intensity to a father muted both emotionally and vocally as he tries his best to protect his family. Emily Blunt is brilliant as the matriarch with her performance really drawing you in to truly believe that at any moment a creature could strike. Playing their deaf daughter Regan, Millicent Simmonds brings a whole new dynamic to the screen and plays it beautifully. Noah Jupe, as her bother Marcus who is finding it hard to adapt to this nightmarish situation, is equally superb.
As with all good horror films you do not see the monster in full until the end and when you do the CGI is well executed so as not to take you out of the film. However, there are a few plot holes but if you don’t over analyze it this film will still have you on the edge of your seat until the end and probably having a few minor heart attacks along the way.
Shhhhh A Quiet Place is Cloverfield meets The Walking Dead and makes for a very enjoyable tiptoeing scare fest at the cinema.
Reviewed by Ian Wright.
