Review of A Quiet Place (2018) by Mark H — 17 Apr 2018

Solid horror movie. You've seen movies very similar to this before. Indestructible creatures, the end of days, it's been done. Think The Mist, and other movies like that. What separates this movie from The Mist, and makes it a 4/5 and the Mist a 2/5, is the original concept of using sound (or more precisely, the absence of sound) as the backdrop for the fear.

Anxiety mounts as you hope and pray the characters (and yourself and your partner sitting next to you) stay absolutely quiet. Even small noises become very unsettling. The atmosphere works, and there are almost no breaks or relief from the tension.

The other factor which elevates this film is the family dynamic. It feels real. There is love between mom and dad. The kids feel like family members. The family is bound by both tragedy and survival, and while there are holes to find if you want to look for them, and the conclusion is pretty ordinary and typical (think Signs), I enjoyed this film.

But the end could have been profound or more powerful, and instead it was a bit underwhelming. Good movie, almost great.