Movies are one of the most unique communal experiences. You go into a dark place with a bunch of strangers to watch fake characters in a (most likely) fake story. There is an extra connection with those 2-hour companions when they are as vocally into the movie as you are, whether through silence or commentary. If you enjoy the latter, horror films in can elicit three varieties of commentated movie-going experiences. There is the one when you’re dragged in by friends kicking and (literally) screaming:
The horror lovers’ adept analysis when there is a particularly gruesome demise:
And if you’re an evil jerk like me, the commentary heard with the more spontaneous deaths:
A Quiet Place combines this collective aesthetic with a gripping story to make an intelligently innovative experience. It follows a mother (Emily Blunt) and father (John Krasinski) forced to live out their days in silence as they try to keep their children safe from monsters who attack any and every sound they hear.
It is the next chapter in the recent renaissance of horror movies that are smart, unique, and don’t rely on cheap jump scares to get a scream out of its’ audiences. Don’t get me wrong though, there are plenty of jump scares in this one. This movie is truly terrifying and downright nerve-wracking. But the fear isn’t produced from random sounds and stunts. It is part of a narrative that keeps the audience fully engaged in the story. A story that wastes little to no time on exposition. Without it, we don’t know where the monsters come from, why they are here, and if there is an endgame to their invasion. Dropping you right into the family's life intensifies their world's horror and the necessity to stay silent.
With the majority of the movie pushed forward without words (even the sign language is used minimally), Krasinski’s directional choices are even more amplified. He does exceptionally well bringing the audience into the world. He manipulates the sounds (or lack thereof) at perfect intervals to highlight the difference between true silence and the many sounds of nature. His introduction, and subsequent shots, of the monsters heighten their intensity. Juxtaposing the augmented aesthetics with the family’s quelled demeanor creates a penetrating atmosphere that generates genuine anxiety and apprehension. Without dialogue, Blunt, Krasinski, and the child actors’ (Noah Jupe and Millicent Simmonds) body language convey a gamut of emotion. The fear, sadness, and resolve of the characters are worn on their faces. Blunt’s performance in one particular scene is arguably the most stressful sequence put on film in the past 10 years. Their performances make the usually dull scenes between scares interesting and fulfilling.
The mollified ambiance within the film affects the experience within the audience as well. With less sound, the audience must focus even more because any ambient sound becomes a bigger distraction. This generates louder screams, more vigorous “ooo”s, and heartier laughs. A Quiet Place is a singular film that is beautifully acted, forcefully tense, and wholly enthralling. I give A Quiet Place 8/10 bad ass Emily Blunt poses (she does one in this that will rival those from Edge of Tomorrow).