Review of A Quiet Place (2016) by Aubrey W — 13 Dec 2018

A Quiet Place horror movie that will keep you on the edge of your seat more than any other movie could. This movie is filmed to make you feel like you are in this apocalyptic state of the world with the Abbott family. The cast are a huge aspect as to why this film is horrifyingly terrific. It includes hardly any spoken dialogue. Most conversations are understood using American Sign Language. Through this lack of spoken word, the sounds of the surrounding environment are shockingly intense. Just the sound of rustling leaves will make you jump. A Quiet Place takes the family aspect of one of the latest hit TV shows Stranger Things and combines it with the same curious terror we felt in Jaws. Because of these aspects, this movie is one of the best and most unique of its kind.

Silence is what makes A Quiet Place such a thrilling, yet terrifying movie. The alien-like creatures attacking the Abbott family are attracted to sound. They have had to live in their silent world for over a year. After losing their youngest son to one of the aliens, the parents, played by John Krasinski and Emily Blunt, are pregnant and ready to give birth to their newest child. This may sound absurd and a little crazy. Probably because it is. It simply is not possible to carry and give birth while staying silent. However, it shows the parents are trying to move on from their loss and trying to bring something new and great into a world that is crashing down. Ironically, their hope for bringing something new into this world will make this new world more of a living nightmare than it already was.

As the parents prepare for their new child, their son, played by Noah Jupe is dragged along by his father the woods to catch fish for food. He would rather stay in the safety of his home. On the verge of tears, he silently begs his mother to not make him go. Their deaf daughter, played by Millicent Simmonds, is tough and stubborn. She wants to prove she can handle this life. She feels she can do more outside of their safety net. She demands she leaves to gather food instead of her brother, but is quickly let down when her father says no. Her relationship with her father starts out rough. He has been trying "fix" her deafness by creating different hearing aids. Throughout the movie, both of the children progress to find out more about themselves and strengthen their relationships with each other as their lives are at risk.

I found it very impressive how real this movie is. Simmonds herself is deaf in real life. She even helped teach the cast members some of the sign language used in the movie. Knowing this adds so much more emotion to her character and the trials she faces. Also, the fact that John Krasinski and Emily Blunt are married with children of their own in real life adds to their role as parents in the film. In the beginning, we get a sense of their love for each other as they slow dance in their basement. Blunt places an earphone in her husband's ear and they silently sway to "Harvest Moon" by Neil Young. As viewers, we see how the couple finds some peace in their consistently dangerous world. This is one of the most touching love scenes I have seen to this day. The chemistry between them on the screen creates a family dynamic full of love and acceptance. This movie has you falling in love with this family because they know their imperfections, but still care so much for each other. I think this is something everyone strives for in families of their own. As a viewer of this movie, once you love the family, it makes it so much more intense to watch because there is so much more to lose.

The sounds (and the lack thereof) are what truly make this movie. Also, the audiences' reaction to the them. I first saw this movie in the theater. It was the quietest I have ever heard a theater. I could nearly hear the audiences' adrenaline pumping. Obviously going into the movie, you know it is going to be more on the quieter side of things. However, within the first few minutes I realized quiet really meant no speaking. Since there is no speaking, the amplified sounds of the world we hear every day take over. Watching how the Abbott's have to strategically move around their home or how they have sand outside to soften their footsteps, helps the audience members realize how difficult it is to truly live a life of silence. It allows us to take a walk in the character's footsteps and see this circumstance from their point of view. That alone is petrifying. As things start to get more intense throughout the movie, the viewers still do not know what this alien creature truly is. The mother is in a terrible situation, unable to catch a break. Then all we see is a glimpse of this appalling creature, but that is all. Silence and a creature we know is close but left unclear of what it is. This curious terror is what keeps everyone on edge.

I never thought a nearly silent film could do so much for an audience. They are either trying to be silent, too afraid to make a noise, or at the edge of their seat trying to stifle a scream begging to come out. Even the parts excluding a blood thirsty alien keep us on our toes. What makes A Quiet Place a true horror movie is reality. The people, the place, the bond between characters, the trials they face, everything feels real. I left the theater feeling the urge to stay extremely quiet. The movie has the power to make it feel like you are still living in a world full of listening aliens that will kill you in a second if you make a single noise even after leaving the theater.