A Quiet Place | Movie Review

I’m not a fan of horror, mostly because I get scared very easily. The last time I watched a horror movie, sandwiched between my brother and my husband, both of who decided not to let me budge, was a big disaster for me, entertainment for them. So you can understand why I’ve always been skeptical about horror movies. But when my husband said he wanted to watch A Quiet Place, directed by John Krasinski and starring him and Emily Blunt, I reluctantly agreed, but mostly because I have a teeny, tiny girl-crush on the lady.

A Quiet Place is set in a world where you must remain silent, or face an end, thanks to blind extraterrestrial creatures. The tagline for the movie is, If they hear you, they hunt you. Lee Abbott (John Krasinski) and Evelyn Abbott (Emily Blunt), along with their children, Regan (who is deaf), Marcus, and Beau, look for supplies while using sign language, because of the no-sound rule. Beau is killed by a creature, no thanks to a toy airplane. Fast forward a year, and the Abbott family is living on their farm, trying to survive through each day. How they curb the sounds, and how they make sure they aren’t caught forms the rest of the story.

I knew John Krasinski was a funny guy, but the depth he has shown in this film, both as a director and an actor, is mind-blowing. Creativity has no limits, they say, and this is true of this film. And thanks to the screenplay by Krasinski, Scott Beck, and Bryan Woods, silence gets a new level of importance through this movie. It shows you that you don’t need words to prove your love for your loved ones.

The actor who absolutely takes the cake is Emily Blunt. She is raw, emotional, and motherhood personified. Given, Krasinski is almost as good as her, but that’s the point. Almost. Blunt is exceptional as she sobs, jumps in front of her children to save them, grieves, is afraid – every little action seems like a masterpiece in itself. The last 15 minutes are full of absolute emotion. I wasn’t surprised to find tears rolling down my face as my heart broke in two. In one particular scene, Krasinski outshines Blunt. And his guttural scream will haunt me for a long time to come.

Though I’d gone into A Quiet Place thinking it’s a horror film because that’s what it’s supposed to be, apparently, I found it more on the lines of an extremely gripping suspense thriller. Dystopia scares me and this movie was exactly that. What if something like this happens in the future? With our intelligence and what we are doing to the planet, I don’t think it will be long before creatures like the Death Angels will make our Earth into A Quiet Place.

You must gather all your strength if you’re going to watch A Quiet Place. You’ll need it because the movie scares you with its soundless storyline. There are no empty jump-scares. Everything in there happens for a reason and has a consequence. The no-sound rule for survival in there seeps out and embeds itself into your head, making you think that you have to stay silent or something is going to sprint through the walls and eat your head off. It’s that effective.

With a combination of a taut screenplay, crisp direction, and brilliant acting, A Quiet Place deserves all the applause it can get. John Krasinski, in particular, thanks to the multiple roles he has taken up for this project. Every second holds your attention, and makes you hold your breath. And that is not an easy task to do.

So when I say that you should go watch this horror movie, go watch it. Because if I can sit through it, so can you. And the list of reasons I mentioned above will make sure that you fall in love with the movie. Emily Blunt in particular, but also John Krasinski. What an incredible couple!

Rating: 5/5 stars

Until next time, keep reading, keep watching, and add melodrama to your life. 🙂

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