Enjoy the Silence in 'A Quiet Place'

The renaissance of modern horror remains tenacious after films like Jordan Peele’s Get Out and Robert Egger’s The Witch shaked things up. Adding another serious cinematic effort to the genre is A Quiet Place. Director, star, and co-writer John Krasinski's near-silent horror thriller is an extraordinary film achievement with its use of silence to demand the audience’s attention. Producing a quiet but powerful tension that’s continuously nerve-racking, Krasinski doesn’t rely on traditional horror genre tropes like the jump scare or cheap thrills.

A Quiet Place is set only two years in the future when something has happened to Earth and the streets are desolate, grocery stores empty, and not a soul is in sight. Well, except for the Abbotts (Emily Blunt and real-life husband John Krasinski), who are living their lives in silence, while being responsible for keeping their two young sons, deaf daughter, and newborn-on-the-way safe and sound (without ever making a peep). In this recently post-apocalyptic world, the enduring Abbott family quietly walk the rural land barefoot when they leave their farm searching for any supplies in sight. Survival in this dystopian existence is slim, where creatures with enhanced hearing roam the streets and swiftly hunt-and-kill via sound. The stakes are high, and the Abbotts live in constant fear that their children will accidentally make a sound. The looming threat is enough to make anyone put down the popcorn, stop crunching, and secretly wish they had ordered Sour Patch Kids.

Tension rises from the start, as the film opens without any image, just an ominous score by film composer Marco Beltrami (Logan, Scream). In this silence that the film requires, the actors mostly don't get dialogue, but communicate through American Sign Language, gestures, and profound expression. I loved the director’s use of sound when shooting scenes from their daughter Regan’s perspective, played by deaf actress Millicent Simmonds (Wonderstruck). Sound is completely absent to remind the audience that she can't hear her surrounding environment (like when the creature is standing right behind you!). Emily Blunt’s emotional performance of a mother silently trying to keep her family safe among the terror that threatens is another testament that Blunt elevates any film that she is in. Going through labor in silence is no easy feat!

A Quiet Place is a horror thriller but has its emphasis on family and survival.With a perfect running time and a clear voice, John Krasinski establishes this family's noiseless reality into a fascinating viewing experience meant to be shared with an audience.

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