A Quiet Place from Paramount Pictures & Platinum Dunes is sure to be ranked as one of the best horror films of 2018. Director & star John Krasinski has crafted a smart & spooky film that will have audiences on the edges of their seats.
The Abbot family is comprised of father Lee (Krasinski), pregnant mother Evelyn (Emily Blunt), son Marcus (Noah Jupe), and hearing-impaired daughter Regan (Millicent Simmonds). The year is 2020, and the world appears to dystopian after a global event. Unknown creatures are hunting humans by sound, and the Abbot family lives in silence. After a tense opening sequence where the Abbots experience a personal tragedy, the family is forced to band together to survive the creatures.
Krasinski, known primarily for his comedic work, shines both as the film's director and as the Abbot household head. Lee is an old school man's man, willing to do anything to protect his family. I started to take Krasinski seriously as an actor after his work in 13 Hours. With his work in A Quiet Place, I can easily see some high profile projects coming his way shortly.
His real-life spouse Emily Blunts also does commendable work here as his spouse. The film's trailer teased a moment that involves the actress and a bathtub. While I won't detail the entire sequence, it is one of the best moments in the film. As the director, Krasinski slowly builds up the suspense for Evelyn, and the payoff is very satisfying.
Credit must also go to young actors Noah Jupe and Millicent Simmonds who portray the Abbot children. Noah Jupe is slowly becoming one of my favorite child actors in recent memory. He gives Marcus an honest innocence. I also like the foreshadowing that Kranski sets up. Marcus knows that he will have to protect his family should something happen to his dad.
While as daughter Regan, Simmonds also does excellent work. Simmonds, who is deaf in real life, brings a different vibe to her teen scream queen. From sign language to her facial expressions, she was a joy to watch on the big screen.
The script by horror writing duo Scott Beck & Bryan Woods is sharp as well. A Quiet Place took me by surprise as it could have gone wrong on so many levels. Instead, the script successfully pulls you in with its limited use of dialogue. In all honesty, A Quiet Place IS better crafted than just about every other horror film in Platinum Dunes filmography. There are your standard old-school scare moments, but they are quite spooky when the actual jump moments come.
The creatures who hunt by sound but are also blind are also handled well, as Krasinski and his crew slowly reveal the monsters in small doses. When we finally see the creatures, the CGI isn't a distraction in most creature features.
A Quiet Place is, without a doubt, worth a trip to your local theater. Not only does it succeed in providing genuine scares, but the film does also achieve something I never thought possible. I viewed the movie with the sold-out crowd, which was quiet for the film's brisk 95 minutes run time. If you're in the mood for an intelligent horror flick, then give A Quiet Place a look.
Final Grade A