No One Dared Disturb the Sound of Silence

Directed by John Krasinski

Starring Emily Blunt, John Krasinski, Millicent Simmonds

Rated PG-13

Released April 6th, 2018

 

Years ago I had a discussion with a friend who told me they did not ever want to have children because it would be irresponsible to bring children into a world that was so horrible. Today that person has three kids, so I guess they reconsidered. I bring this up because viewers of A Quiet Place may have similar objections when they find out that Evelyn Abbot (Emily Blunt) is pregnant. How dare she bring a child into a world that’s been decimated by horrific monsters? But what is she supposed to do? Give up? That baby is their hope for a better tomorrow.

You care for this family and you really want them to STAY THE HELL QUIET so they can figure out a way to outsmart these monsters.

As Evelyn and her family leave an abandoned drug store where they picked up some meds for one of their kids who is sick, we see a newspaper flailing in the wind with a giant headline stating “IT’S SOUND!” revealing to the viewer that this world is indeed different from ours. It’s been transformed into a post-apocalyptic landscape, free of zombies but full of strange murderous creatures who will attack at the drop of a hat, should that hat make noise when it hits the ground.

Evelyn and her husband Lee (John Krasinski) live with their son Marcus (Noah Jupe) and hearing-impaired daughter Regan (Millicent Simmonds) in a farmhouse that they’ve soundproofed the best that can. Lee teaches Marcus how to fish. Evelyn teaches Regan Shakespeare. The kids play Monopoly with yarn and felt, since the taptaptap of the regular pieces may summon the monsters. The family communicates with each other through sign-language. They even have a plan for what to do once the baby is born.

Some horror films feature characters that only exist to become fodder for the villain. Not so in this movie. You care for this family and you really want them to STAY THE HELL QUIET so they can figure out a way to outsmart these monsters. The monsters have an impressive design, evoking the Cloverfield monster, the aliens from Signs, and the M.U.T.O.s from 2014’s Godzilla. But A Quiet Place works so well because the film is focused on this family, not the monsters. Krasinski and Blunt turn in powerful work, and Jupe and Simmonds (an actress who is deaf in real life) are believable as kids who are adapting to this strange new way of life.

In addition to starring in the film alongside his real-life wife Emily Blunt, John Krasinski directed and co-wrote A Quiet Place, which was produced by Michael Bay’s company Platinum Dunes. When you think of Michael Bay, you think of explosions, so it’s extra impressive how silent this film manages to be. Marco Beltrami’s score never overpowers the necessary silence of each terrifying scene. And this film is terrifying. I honestly think my heart stopped at one moment. Not to sound too much like William Castle, but if you have heart problems maybe reconsider seeing this movie.

If you plan on seeing this film in a theater, please make sure you do the following things to ensure the best experience for your fellow moviegoers:

1.Turn your phone off.

2. Munch snacks quietly.

3. If you need to cough, take a sip from your overpriced soda.

4. Don’t bring your baby (someone did this at the screening I saw).

My biggest shock came after watching the film, when I was preparing to write this review and I discovered that A Quiet Place is rated PG-13. I would have sworn it warranted an R rating. This is definitely one of the most frightening PG-13 films I’ve ever seen, and one of the best films I’ve seen this year.