PSA: Do not buy any popcorn before watching A Quiet Place. Any investment besides something to drink is pointless since you will end up eating none of what you bought.
A Quiet Place is part of the new wave of high-concept horror by talented filmmakers with a clear vision that also brought us last years Get Out and proves once more that horror is a much better genre if you don’t make the tenth sequel to that one cheap but successful film you released ten years ago. But the movie I end up relating A Quiet Place the most is Baby Driver. Much like Edgar Wright’s latest feature, John Krasinski’s fourth directing gig puts the technical aspects in the limelight and highlights the incredible craftsmanship that makes every movie the best it can be.
Set after civilization was destroyed by a force of incredibly powerful monsters that only react to sound, the movie centers around a family of four trying to survive the hostile environment that has death lurking behind every corner. The Abbott family has the advantage that they are fluent in ASL due to the daughter being deaf. The situation is made even more precarious by the fact that Evelyn Abbott (Emily Blunt) is pregnant and approaching the due date.
Although A Quiet Place is a suspenseful horror movie, it is beautifully shot with a bright color palette highlighting the normality of everyday life in the post-apocalyptic setting. The camera is smoothly following the characters, rejecting shaky movements in favor of creating a sense of dread by staying calm during intense moments.
By far the highlight is the incredible sound design that makes every noise hurt your ears and actively contributes to the tense atmosphere. The score is always on point and makes up for the lack of spoken dialogue. Showing the awe-inspiring skill put into movies gives the audience proper context for what they usually barely notice and makes appreciation on an entirely new level possible.
But what would the best sound design in the world be without story and characters to support. The story is pretty straightforward, setting up clever situations that force the characters to act instead of being passive observers to their own fate. Characterwise A Quiet Place doesn’t offer all that much, the characters being mostly defined by one struggle they more or less overcome at the end. John Krasinski delivers a heartwarming performance as the father of the family, although his character sometimes feels a bit too much like the stereotypical stoic man and his arc feels a little bit too familiar. Emily Blunt, his wife in fiction and reality has the toughest job since she plays the character suffering the most since most of the precarious situations center around her. Overall the small cast does a great job at filling the screen with captivating performances.
Is the hype justified? Hell, yeah! The movie is a tense piece of incredible craftsmanship that is just a joy to watch in a theater with great sound and a (hopefully) silent crowd.
What did you think of A Quiet Place? Tell me in the comments or on Twitter.
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