Directed by first-time filmmaker John Krasinski who is best known for acting in the widely popular TV show The Office, A Quiet Place is a terrific horror film that is notable for its creative writing and outstanding subtle acting performances. It relies on a rather simple yet extremely effective premise: a family is trying to survive post-apocalyptic creatures that attack when they hear any noise. The father and husband Lee, played by John Krasinski, along with his wife Evelyn, played by Golden Globe winner Emily Blunt who is Krasinski’s real life wife, do their best to protect their two young sons and deaf daughter Regan, played by the extraordinary young actress Millicent Simmonds who is deaf in real life, from the truly horrifying monsters lurking in the background. Lee has set up on the family farm elaborate defenses against the blind creatures with a hypersensitive ability to hear even the smallest sound. Even though it definitely has elements of a horror film with terrifying jump scares and gruesome monsters, the movie is able to appeal to those who avoid the horror genre, like myself, because of its innovative story and remarkable build-up of thrilling suspense. Transcending the typical horror flick, the film focuses on how one family copes with tragedy and perpetual fear and lays it out in a taut ninety minutes without superfluous gore. The dramatic ending, with a surprising twist involving the deaf daughter and warding off the creatures, is particularly brilliant and leads perfectly into the already planned sequel. Overall, although I was hesitant to see it at first, the movie is definitely worth seeing even if horror is not your thing, and it displays the remarkable talent of first-time director John Krasinski.
KEITH on Reels 