WHAT’S IT ABOUT? After a cataclysmic event (invasion?) effectively wipes out a large chunk of the population, the remnants of humanity stay hidden from the monsters that are suddenly at the top of the food chain. We follow a few days in the sheltered lives of the Abbotts – father Lee, mother Evelyn, daughter Regan and son Marcus – as they struggle with past tragedies and present hardships while attempting to stay as quiet as possible, for the monsters have super-sensitive hearing.
WHO’S IN IT? John Krasinski, Emily Blunt, Millicent Simmonds and Noah Jupe.
WHO MADE IT? John Krasinski directs from a script written by himself, Scott Beck and Bryan Woods. Produced by Michael Bay's Platinum Dunes.
WHY IT’S ONE OF THE BEST FILMS OF 2018: Most movies are too long nowadays. Even the really good ones go on and on, usually leaving me thinking they could easily chop 10-15 minutes off them and be the better for it. A QUIET PLACE is the rare movie I wanted to be longer. At 90 minutes, it's like a delectable appetizer, coming to a finish right when your hunger for it is at its most overpowering. I say this not as a criticism – I love the way this movie ends and, yes, leaves us wanting more – but frustration mingled with overwhelming enthusiasm when the credits rolled. I didn't want it to end!
And who could have seen it coming? A monster movie directed by John Krasinski (of all people) turns out to not only be scary and suspenseful, but heartwarming and life-affirming as well? A monster movie for the whole family, if you will? I think it's the simple approach to the material that makes it work. Krasinski directs with cool efficiency, never getting overly fancy or show-offy but getting the shots he needs to tell the story in the most practical terms. Refreshingly, there's almost no exposition, so answers regarding the monsters' origins are left tantalizingly vague. Truth is, it doesn't matter where they came from or why; we're dropped into the sullen aftermath of their reign and follow one family's efforts to survive day-to-day. Some of it is rather depressing, if we're being honest, and yet there are parts that are as touching as anything seen in far more syrupy films. (That slow dance, or the father's final act of love for his family.)
The villains themselves are incredibly well-realized. Far from the usual CGI blurs we usually get when we see otherworldly creatures on screen, these things are fascinating to look at, and the movie isn't afraid to let us get a good peek at them. (That effect when their skulls split apart? Bravo.) They're scary and mean, and I would watch several more movies featuring them. Similarly, I want to see what happens to the surviving members of the Abbot family; how do they move forward with their newfound knowledge of the creatures' main weakness? Who else is living out there in the woods? Is a revolution in order? So much to ponder.
Krasinski is developing A QUIET PLACE 2 as we speak, and while I'm always naturally wary to follow-ups to great movies, there's clearly so much more to explore in this world, and I trust Krasinski (again, of all people…) to expand upon this captivating scenario without ruining central mysteries. (We really don't need a full explanation regarding the monsters, and I hope we never get one.) After an exquisite appetizer like A QUIET PLACE, I can't wait for a full meal.
BEST SCENE: SPOILERS! There are so many good sequences in A QUIET PLACE, it's tough to choose just one. Surely the entire opening, which ends in unthinkable tragedy, is a contender, as is the old nail-in-the-foot scene – yowch! But I've got to say, when it becomes clear Krasinski's Lee is about to sacrifice himself so his children can escape, my eyes welled up just a little bit. I know there's no crying in horror movies, but only someone with a heart of stone isn't moved by that scene.
BEST LINES:
Lee (to his daughter in sign language): "I love you. I've always loved you." (Here come those tears again.)
Regan: "It. Wont. Work!"
NOTEWORTHY PERFORMANCE(S): Each of the four main performances in A QUIET PLACE is note-perfect, and it's hard to shine a light on just one of them. That said, Millicent Simmonds, as head-strong, resilient daughter Regan certainly leaves an impression, especially considering this is only her second film and she's deaf in real life.
AWARDS WORTHY? There's absolutely a case to be made for the film getting love in the two Sound categories; the mixing and sound editing on display are very impressive. Best Editing should be in play as well. If we were to think in loftier terms, Blunt's vulnerable-yet-intense turn as the matriarch of the family absolutely deserves attention, and if we lived in a perfect world, Simmonds would find some love in the supporting actress category.
REWATCH-O-METER: I've already seen it twice, but I think it's safe to say that A QUIET PLACE deserves a revisit at least one time per year going forward. It would be right at home during October, but honestly I can picture watching it during any time of year. There are still plenty of small details to pick up on in the viewings ahead.