Reviewed by Victor Rebikoff.
Director: John Krasinski, Paramount Pictures, M 90 Minutes
In his latest film, actor and director John Krasinski (‘The Hollars’) has made an absorbing apocalyptic thriller featuring himself and his real-life wife Emily Blunt (‘Edge of Tomorrow’) where silence is essential for their survival.
The suspenseful story in set in the future involving a family running for their lives including husband Lee Abbott (Krasinski), wife Evelyn (Blunt) and children Regan (Millicent Simmonds –‘Wonderstruck’), Marcus (Noah Jupe –‘Wonder’) and Beau (newcomer Cade Woodward). It is day 89.
As the tension builds it is not long before everyone is made aware that a devastating event has taken place endangering the entire population and requiring this particular family to maintain their silence by using sign language.
Unfortunately the making of the slightest sound proves deadly for the Abbott family as shown in in the opening sequence having had to flee from the alien-like creatures following the loss of one of their children.
By day 472 the family of four reaches their remote family farm as Lee switches on their extensive surveillance system as well as a radio which he uses in the hope of contacting other survivors.
Apart from taking precautions to prevent the possibility of creating any noise the family has to contend with a few accidents, notwithstanding Lee’s quick actions to minimise their impact, especially since Evelyn is now heavily pregnant.
In deciding to take his son on an excursion at the exclusion of his defiant deaf daughter, Lee has inadvertently increased the predators’ presence around their home just as Evelyn suffers a hurtful foot injury and goes into labour.
The subsequent scenes are as chilling as they are climactic with the family fighting for their survival against the sound-attracted praying mantis-like creatures yet it is the cochlear implants given to Regan by her father that is their saving grace.
Krasinski’s first sci-fi thriller is nothing short of phenomenal, incorporating slices of dramatic silence and sound into a suspenseful storyline that also encompasses a number of carefully selected horror scenes resembling some seen in ‘Alien’.
Blunt again delivers another brilliant performance as Evelyn and is complemented by that of her real-life husband, in particular Simmonds’ pleasing portrayal as the deaf daughter Regan.
Despite the spine-tingling theme of ‘A Quiet Place’ this is one movie definitely worth watching as long as one remembers to keep quiet.
Vic’s Verdict: 4 Stars
