Synopsis: A family of four must navigate their lives in silence after mysterious creatures that hunt by sound threaten their survival. (Google)
Cast: Emily Blunt, John Krasinski, Millicent Simmonds, Noah Jupe
Screenplay: Bryan Woods, Scott Beck, John Krasinski
Directed by: John Krasinski

The use of silence as a trope in a horror film has actually been done before. We have seen it a few years ago in DON’T BREATHE and the underseen HUSH. But neither one of them really brought it as ambitious as John Krasinksi’s A QUIET PLACE. Its simplistic concept of silence as a tool of survival requires a lot of details to cover any loose ends. And although as a concept is not that neatly knit, the execution made it stand above other modern horror films.

The strength of this film comes from John Krasinski surprisingly assured direction. Being a near-silent film, the use of sound is definitely essential, and he utilized it really really well. The first half of the film might be a challenge for some audiences, but he managed to succesfully craft the thrills and chills for the rest of its running time. The use of parenting value also adds more layers to the story, and simultaneously raised the already high tension.

But as I’ve mentioned before, as ambitious as a concept this might be, there are some plot inconsistencies that bugged me a little, and there were a few things that I wish could be elaborated more. Some of the jump scares might also feel a little unnecessary, but I don’t think it bothers me that much. And I think the resolution feels conveniently simple, but it’s a nice little touch of subtle message of using one’s weakness as a weapon.

While it’s not really a horror classic I expected it to be, A QUIET PLACE is still smarter than some of the modern horror films from recent years. With the help of a great script and wonderful performances all around, Krasinski ran a simple premise and executed with confidence. It carries powerful emotional punch at times, and effectively scary when it needs to be. Though I have to say, watching this with the right crowd is crucial. [B+]

A copy of my review on Instagram.