In a not-so-distant future (2019, to be less than exact), the world has been overrun by monsters. Their origin remains unknown, though they seem to be the alien version of a crab/spider hybrid, but it is common knowledge that they have extremely sensitive hearing. They hunt anything that makes much noise but are apparently blind. They move terrifyingly fast and tend to just smash anything that makes noise.
Enter the family of our story (do they even have names, apart from the credits?), played by real-life couple Emily Blunt and John Krasinski. Their three children -- including Noah Jupe from Wonder and new Deaf actress Millicent Simmonds of Wonderstruck -- learn to live in silence, fearing for their lives. Living on a farm in isolated foothills, the family has fortified against attack by creating a soundproof basement, making paths of sand to soften footfalls, and stringing lights to indicate safety and danger (the use of red is a stroke of cinematic genius). They are incredibly prepared for everything and might be labeled a survivalist family, as the father has stockpiled all kinds of supplies and is aggressively researching both the monsters and his daughter's deafness, trying to find a connection between sound and survival.
Of course, the best-laid plans will go awry. It is a horror movie, after all. Apart from a few expository and scary scenes, especially an emotional opening on day 80-something of the apocalypse, most of the film takes place over the course of a single day and night when pretty much everything that could go wrong does go wrong. The family gets hopelessly split up, the mother goes into labor, the deaf daughter is out on her own, a bent nail causes pain (!), a monster comes lurking, and a series of disasters makes the entire second half of the film a nonstop climax. You can scarcely find time to breathe, which is good because breathing too loudly will attract the monsters.
A Quiet Place isn't necessarily the most innovative film you've ever seen, but it's close, and it's one of the best-executed genre films of the decade. Smart without being pretentious, the film moves along quickly and carries you each step of the way. You're never lost or confused; every moment is important to our experience as viewers. The movie makes you care instantly about everyone, ratcheting up our dread about their fates, and earning your tears at the end. Fret not! While grief and death inevitably stake their claim, the final five minutes of the film will make you want to stand and cheer, as at least three people did in the viewing I saw last night.
What else can we say? It's impeccably detailed, bone-chilling and endlessly terrifying, heartfelt and sweet, and ultimately rousing. The sound mixing and editing is really amazing, and it boasts a gorgeous musical score. And, really, you just can't get much better than Emily Blunt being badass.
IMDb: A Quiet Place
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