REVIEW: A Quiet Place

There are many people out there that are willing to write horror movies off simply because of the genre they represent.  I will admit that there are scores of movies full of fatty tissue that make the horror genre seem surface level and without merit.  However, the history of horror movies shows a lineage intent on being more than just a jump scare.  They can be social commentaries, such as Night of the Living Dead, they can show the scope of the sins of the parents falling on their children, such as in A Nightmare on Elm Street, they can be about conquering personal fear in the face of duty, like in Jaws, or a an allegory on the monster of unresolved grief, as seen in The Babadook.  There is an enormous list of horror movies that are actually just good stories that happen to be set for scares at the same time.

This year we have been given a horror movie, A Quiet Place, that not only nails the audience to their seats in suspense, but is also a rich story about family tragedy and the pain that comes with it.  People would most likely know John Krasinski from his work as Jim Halpert in the American version of The Office.  Krasinksi co-wrote the script for A Quiet Place (along with Scott Beck and Bryan Woods) as well as serving as its director.  I have always enjoyed Krasinski and his ability to be immediately likeable, much like his British Office counterpart, Martin Freeman.  Never would I have pictured him making a horror movie, especially one that would take place as my favourite film of the year so far.

The movie is set after an alien invasion.  Much like creature feature Tremors, the monsters hunt by sound, meaning that the surviving humans need to be continuously quiet.  We are introduced to the Abbot family, with Lee (Krasinski) and his wife, Evelyn (Emily Blunt, who is Krasinksi's real life wife).  Survival for them is made difficult because they have three young children who, of course, make mistakes at times.  Once crucial mistake happens at the beginning of the film when tragedy strikes, a fatal error that came from a decision of daughter Regan (Millicent Simmonds), bringing up a tension between her and her father.  Simmonds is deaf, which works well, because so is Regan.  We at times understand the world from her perspective, sort of a contrast to the audible sensitivities of the monsters.

Throughout the film, Regan is unhappy.  She believes that her father blames her for the tragedy of their family, and she reaches a boiling point over being treated as a child.  The interesting aspect of this is that we can understand why Lee would treat her this way, having seen how she had messed up in the past.  Both points of view are understandable, and the dynamic between the two is the main point of the film, with Lee needing to eventually show Regan how much he loves her and the sacrifice that he is willing to make for her.

One of the best used techniques in A Quiet Place is the use of sound.  The movie is so quiet, as the title would suggest, that when there is noise it hits home with the audience.  It stands out so much from the rest of the mostly silent film that it arrouses our anxiety, something that is needed to put us in the place of the Abbotf family.  Mixed into the movie is a lurking and omnipresent score by Marco Beltrami.  When the tension is increased, the music steals the show and adds a marvellous element of dreadful stimulation.

Krasinksi is very patient in how he tells the story.  He does what a lot of directors fail to do, and that is let a scene play out in full.  There are numerous moments when a simple sequence lasts a while, an effort that increases the understanding of their lives.  While moments may be rolled out slowly, Krasinski is a master in showing that it doesn't mean things will be boring.  There is not a wasted shot in the entire film, and the pacing is top notch, the run time vanishing quickly with never a sense of boredom.  We are absorbed in the story, and it never lets go of us for long enough to let us check our watches.

An interesting development in the story is the fact that Evelyn is pregnant and is due at any time.  Not only can labour be a loud endeavour, but it is quite hard to tell an infant to be quiet and not make a sound.  We may wonder why the heck Lee and Evelyn thought it was a good idea to procreate in such an environment, but that folly is easily forgiven.  It is merely the situation that we find them in, and they are characters that are impossible to hate.  It would be difficult to find a more likeable and sympathetic couple than John Krasinski and Emily Blunt.  The doom of labour hangs over them, leaving us to wonder if this is the event that eliminates the family completely.

The third act of this film is non-stop, a thrilling ride that could be taken multiple times.  While it is wall to wall suspense, the acting is what really makes it special.  Blunt has shown in the past that she can portray strong and kick ass characters (such as in Sicario and Edge of Tomorrow).  We get to see that fight in her again here, and everything she does is captivating.  Krasinski nails the part of dedicated and protective dad.  It is Simmonds, however, that bears the brunt of the emotional heft.  She is an absolute force in this film, a star that I hope gets many opportunities in the future.

As a horror, this movie works perfectly.  And, as a family drama, this movie works perfectly.  The best horror movies operate as more than just trying to make the audience nervous or scared.  They show us humanity, the underscoring emotions and motives that affect people.  A Quiet Place is a treat, as it has a very human story that is shrouded in a suspenseful and thrilling capsule.  There have been so many amazing horror films over the last number of years, and this is easily one of the best of them.

Rating - 4 out of 4 stars