A Quiet Place is the story of a tight-knit family fighting for
survival on an Earth that has been occupied by murderous aliens.
A Quiet Place is the third film directed by John Krasinski, as well
as the third he’s written. Despite his first two films receiving a lukewarm
critical welcome, critics have lavished praise on A Quiet Place, considering it one of the best horror films in
years. So, does it live up to the hype?
It does. The film is ultimately a
tour-de-force in the thriller genre, arriving on the scene and challenging any
movie to create even half the tension it possesses.
The film’s performances are all
excellent. Most stunning, however, are the performances of Noah Jupe and
Millicent Simmonds, who play the children in the family beautifully. They are
able to capture a range of emotions rarely seen in even adult actors, and both
seem to have bright futures ahead.
John Krasinski and Emily Blunt
have slightly more nuanced roles, but play them effectively all the same. The
brilliance of their performances lies in subtlety.
The film’s excellence is due to
its direction. Krasinski was able to take the mere paragraph of words that
exist in the script and fashion a unique and powerful film out of them.
Furthermore, the absence of sound in general lends itself to and even creates
much of the uncertainty and anxiety of the film.
A Quiet Place is not content to limit itself to mere tension,
however, and maintains a strong and sometimes powerful emotional undercurrent
for the entirety of the story. This addition helps to propel the film into
future “classic” territory.
The plot, while not
groundbreaking by any stretch of the imagination, has enough unique twists to
make the film feel unlike any other in the sci-fi/horror genre. Additionally,
the plot serves only as a catalyst for the development of the characters, a
decision Krasinski likely wisely made to avoid any further genre stereotypes in
the film’s story.
Above all, A Quiet Place is a deeply intelligent film. It doesn’t rely on
jump-scares and it avoids cheesy sentimentality, crafting a beautiful and
haunting story in the process. Krasinski never lingers too long on one
sequence, constantly moving both the characters and the story to increase the
tension exponentially until it is finally masterfully resolved in a nail-biting
and explosive finale.
Krasinski has clearly mastered
his craft, and we can only expect to see more stellar work from him. If A Quiet Place is any indication, he may
be one of the most skilled directors working today. 4.3/5 stars.
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