A Quiet Place
2018
Director: John Krasinski
Stars: Emily Blunt, John Krasinski, Millicent Simmonds
Reviewed by Brian M. Sammons
In a rush? Just read this: I love this movie, I think it’s amazing, and it’s in the running as my #1 horror movie of 2018. So yeah, it’s beyond highly recommended. Get it. Now.
Got some time to kill? Then here’s the longer version. Earth gets invaded by monsters (are they aliens? Demons? A science experiment gone wrong? Who knows?) that are hard as hell to kill and come equipped with incredible hearing, so if you make any sound at all, you’re dead. This movie starts with that world already under siege from the beasts, with the focus being on a single family and how they have learned to survive. They have a slight leg up with a daughter born deaf so they are all familiar with sign language, but still, could you be absolutely quiet? All the time? What if you’re a small child? What if you are a pregnant woman who is about to deliver like the mother is here?
A Quiet Place is a creature feature that ramps up the tension to near unbelievable levels with the necessity to remain as quiet as possible at all times. It also increases the drama with the up close and very personal look at a single family struggling to survive this silent apocalypse. It has a unique technical hook to draw the audience in with everything being played very quiet. It causes you to lean in, straining to hear anything you can. Often people will hold their breath with the characters on screen when they are hiding from a nearby monster and that silence really makes those jump scares, well jump. Thankfully this movie doesn’t rely on just those for the horror. The suspense, tension, and dread all are tuned up to eleven here.
Combine that with great acting by all, great direction by actor John Krasinski who knocks it out of the park at his only second time at bat doing direction duties, and the special effects are very impressive. I really loved the design of the creatures in this, how they are more than just a compilation of fangs and claws. There was thought and care and craftsmanship put into their design and that clearly shines through here. Honestly there’s not too much I can think of to fault this movie so let’s move on.
Let’s talk (very quietly) about the extras Paramount has given us on this new Blu-ray/DVD/Digital combo pack. First, it’s a little thing, but the menu is completely quiet. That’s a nice touch. Then there is a behind-the-scenes featurette that runs about 15 minutes. There’s a featurette on the edition used in the movie and how that enhances the silence in the film and that one is nearly 12 minutes long. Lastly there is a featurette on the visual effects used in the movie, including those wonderfully designed alien critters and that one lasts seven and a half minutes. And that’s it. Sadly there is no director’s commentary, I would have really liked that, and oddly there’s not even a trailer. There’s always a trailer. Whatever, this combo pack isn’t bare bones but it’s not loaded with extra goodies, either.
A Quiet Place is a great film. I really can find no faults with it and everything from acting and direction, to plot and creature design are done very well. As such I can easily and highly recommend this Blu-ray/DVD combo pack. It’s a must-have.
