The resurgence of smart, well-crafted horror of late has been incredibly satisfying. Movies like The Witch, Get Out, The Blackcoat’s Daughter and It have shown the world that the genre is far more than teen screams and incessant tropes. Next in line to help redefine the scene is A Quiet Place, a PG-13 film that gushes heart, not blood, but still manages to terrify with warped creatures, excellent jump scares and incredible sound design. All of this courtesy of a guy from The Office.
John Krasinski plays Lee Abbott, a father of three trekking his family through a life lived in silence. The year is 2020 and humans are being stalked by creatures that hunt by sound. Lee must teach his family how to survive in this neo post-apocalyptic world, and the stress of that weighs heavily on him. Adding to this, his wife, Evelyn (played by Krasinski’s real-life wife Emily Blunt), is pregnant and the couple must prepare for the baby’s impending arrival.
Oldest daughter Regan is deaf and portrayed by the phenomenal Millicent Simmonds (“It was non-negotiable for me to hire a deaf actress,” the director told Bloody Disgusting). Given her disability and the dire situation, the family communicates via sign language, though Lee is hard at work trying to repair Regan’s broken Cochlear implant. Simmonds gives the character a real sense of urgency and authenticity; Krasinski’s casting choice could not have been more spot-on.
The family lives in an expansive farmhouse with its accompanying land we can only assume they usurped over time. They have all sorts of countermeasures and security protocol in place for their protection, from outlining lights that can be changed to red when under attack, to a large lookout location on the top of the silo. The Abbotts are tiptoeing through an existence where perpetual fear rides shotgun, never leaving their side for even a moment.
While the movie isn’t quite silent, it plays with sound in very specific ways to build tension and make the audience squirm. At times, we “hear” what Regan hears (a muffled nothing) while having the privilege of seeing around her thanks to some clever camera work. This alone leads to some crazy WTF moments. Following long periods of quiet, Krasinski turns the volume up to 11 for jump scares that never feel like cheap bait. With sound being the focal point of the plot, the movie intends for us to hear every creak in the floor, every teeny sound of a lantern, every whimper of the newborn, and every accidental SMASH! that continues putting the family in danger.
Simmonds has the beautiful ability to express guilt, anger, sorrow and love all through signing and facial expressions. I don’t want to go so far as to say she makes the film, but A Quiet Place would absolutely not be the same without her. (Aside: We need to spotlight more deaf actors on the big and small screen. If now is nothing but the time of increased representation and social awareness, let’s make it happen. I want to see more from her and others. End Aside)
Blunt deserves acknowledgment as well; she is a saleswoman here who truly elevates the material, placing us right inside those cramped farmhouse quarters with her. Some of the scariest scenes were effective solely due to her realistic portrayal of unfettered fear. Blunt continues being a force to be reckoned with.
While the movie is a harrowing tale with excellent creature work, nail-biting sequences and an incredibly wowing cast that sells the panic of what it means to be survivalists, it centers around one thing: a family’s love. Lee expresses his love to his children in various ways, even if it means being hard on them to teach them. All parents want to ensure their offspring can care for themselves, but in the world of A Quiet Place, every single second and every minute decision or action is life or death. Lee understands this immensely, and Krasinski’s sullen eyes conveys that in every scene.
The Abbotts’ connection is so moving, so heavy on the screen that it lifts the film into the echelon of horror greatness. It’s technically provocative, original and thrilling. I can’t remember the last horror entry that showcased this much love or heart while still remaining effectively scary. Its humanity makes all the difference. Grade: A
