ReelBob: ‘A Quiet Place’ ★★★★
By Bob Bloom
“A Quiet Place” is a master class in filmmaking — showcasing how images, silence, sound and music can create an oppressive and frightening atmosphere that can keep you on the edge of your seat from beginning to end.
The movie, directed by John Krasinski, who also helped write the script and costars with his wife, Emily Blunt, is an intense and suspenseful flip on science-fiction-creature-feature tropes that we recognize from so many other features.
The film is set in the aftermath of some sort of alien invasion. The streets of a small American town are deserted, as we follow a family — the Abbotts — quietly tip-toeing through a store collecting supplies. They all are barefoot.
They do not speak. Rather, they communicate in sign language. (And don’t worry, subtitles are provided so you know what they are saying.)
Krasinski and co-writers Bryan Woods and Scott Beck have created a foreboding atmosphere. You know something is wrong but are not sure what it is.
A tragedy on the return walk from the store to their isolated farmhouse crushes the family.
It’s not the storyline that grabs you; it’s the unsettled world the filmmakers created.
Everyone treads carefully and quietly as if their lives depended on it. And in a real sense, they do.
The invading creatures, who appear to be blind, hunt by sound. And when they hear a noise, they attack — quickly and deadly.
What makes “A Quiet Place” so compelling is how Krasinski transforms such ordinary items as a nail or a grain silo into significant dangers that could betray and reveal the family.
The performances all around are solid. Krasinski and Blunt appear always on eggshells, furtively glancing in every direction, on the alert for every threat.
Praise also goes to the young actors who portray their children — Millicent Simmonds as Regan and Noah Jupe as Marcus.
Simmonds, who is deaf, made a splash last year with her turn in Todd Haynes’ “Wonderstruck,” while Jupe had strong supporting roles in “Wonder” and “Suburbicon.”
Simmonds, especially, stands out as the rebellious daughter, who, despite all the dangers, chafes at her parents’ constant supervision.
The manner in which the movie utilizes Simmonds’ deafness adds to the fear and anxiety that grips the film like a vise.
She may be with her family, but she also is isolated because of her condition. Thus, she cannot hear if a creature is stalking her.
Complementing it all is Marco Beltrami’s score, which makes the hairs on the back of your neck stand. His creepy and menacing music never allows you to relax. You’re always expecting something to jump in from off-frame.
“A Quiet Place” is a gem, displaying Krasinski’s flair behind the camera. Nevermind where these creatures came from — or why and how. Knowing is not really a necessity.
All you need to know is that “A Quiet Place” will haunt you. It’s unforgettable and nightmarish. Yet, it also exhibits love, sacrifice and courage.
I am a member of the Indiana Film Journalists Association. My reviews appear at ReelBob (reelbob.com) and Rottentomatoes (www.rottentomatoes.com). I also review Blu-rays and DVDs. I can be reached by email at bobbloomjc@gmail.com or on Twitter @ReelBobBloom. Links to my reviews can be found on Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and LinkedIn.
A QUIET PLACE
4 stars out of 4
(PG-13), terror and some bloody images