We watched A Quiet Place.
It’s fucking terrifying. Best damn frightener movie we’ve seen in ages.
The basic plot is: monsters. A little more detail? Okay.
The nasties track sound. The story centers on the Abbots, starting with a no-punches-pulled entree into the horrorscape Earth has become. One of their kids (played by Millicent Simmonds) is deaf, the family able to communicate in sign language before the invasion started. It’s saved them, and they’ve found a haven in a quiet farmstead.
Haven, except for the at-least-three monsters in the area.
The danger isn’t just “monsters.” That’d be too easy. Evelyn (Emily Blunt) is pregnant, and she must face giving birth and, with Lee (John Krasinski), raising a baby in a world intolerant of the slightest noise. How the family bands together, and the sacrifices they’re willing to make for each other, raise this above just another monster movie.
That’s not to say the monsters aren’t great. They’re horrifying, armored fuckers with hearing so acute they can track a gerbil from a klick away. You’ll enjoy (!?) plenty of monster-closet moments; I haven’t felt this tense watching a movie since the original Alien.
Simmonds’ Regan is an inspired character, a tortured teenager that forgoes the usual parents-took-my-iPad-away nonsense for someone who regrets mistakes and just wants her father’s love. Krasinski’s Lee will have you teary-eyed with how he comes to find peace with his daughter and the horrible things the world has done to them all.
As you’d hope for a movie based on sound, the audio stage is amazing. For a flick with like five lines of spoken dialogue, sound is used to great effect; when in the PoV of their deaf child, monsters creeping up behind her take a whole new level of threat. Waterfalls showcase nature’s uncaring beauty. Through it all, the quiet moments of whispered word between Evelyn and Lee will tug on your heartstrings.
Our gateway to this was Emily Blunt, who in our view can do no wrong. We’ve found another star to watch in John Krasinski, and I’ll be keeping an eye out for Millicent Simmonds as she evolves her acting career.
It’s a must-own for monster, alien, and/or horror enthusiasts. Do yourself a favor and check it out.
If you don’t know WTAF I’m talking about, check it: