Director John Krasinski’s A Quiet Place, one of the most talked-about horror films of the year, lives up to the hype. Although I approach films accompanied by rumble with skepticism, this time, there is a film that really delivers. The film features John Krasinski as the director and also in the lead role alongside his wife, Emily Blunt, who convinced him to make this film. And I’m glad she did. A Quiet Place shines like a star among similar films, bringing originality to the Horror/Thriller frenzy.
Speaking of the plot… The film takes place in a post-apocalyptic world where the streets have been abandoned to their fate. The few remaining people on the streets continue to exist in magnificent silence. They avoid making noise and try to communicate through sign language. The question of why is answered at the beginning of the film. The world is filled with creatures that can instantly find you and tear you apart when you make a sound.
Let me clarify from the start, this film is not your typical popcorn movie. I wanted to emphasize this because I absolutely love eating popcorn at the cinema. However, A Quiet Place consists primarily of silence. No music is used until the final minutes of the film. We simply watch a family moving in silence. The family has two children, and they live carefully in their home. Of course, their lives change with one mistake, and they find themselves in suspense they cannot handle with just one noise.
The film is so beautifully built on silence that from the moment we grasp the universe’s mathematics, every noise brings the audience into a state of curiosity. The tension of the action that the careful family will experience in the face of possible noise forms the suspense of the thriller. In this aspect, the film is definitely very successful. The innovative approach of sound, which is almost the foundation of horror films, turning into the cause of the tension rather than creating tension itself, is a fresh perspective in horror cinema. Many films rely on overlaid music for their scenes. On the other hand, A Quiet Place creates exquisite suspense within silence.
However, the lack of expanding this tension – in my opinion – is the film’s biggest flaw. The film progresses in a very narrow space with a limited story. It could have been much more impressive if there had been a deeper or at least a superficial introduction to the past events. Instead, all the information is provided through a newspaper clipping at home. Apart from this clipping, there is no information about the past and the process.
In the film, Emily Blunt delivers an exceptional performance, and the children accompanying her also perform very successfully. Millicent Simmonds, who portrays the deaf girl in the movie, is actually deaf in real life. Her role in the film is significant, and the drama that Hollywood never falls short of is carried out through her character. Throughout the film, they establish a father-daughter relationship and use it as an emotional crescendo at the end of the film. This crescendo is a radical choice that you won’t often encounter in most horror films.
In summary… A Quiet Place could have been the most perfect film in recent years if it had expanded its magnificent tension built on silence and ventured beyond a single location to spread the story to the masses. However, its current state is not bad either. It is an impressive example in a cinema filled with similar horrors. The main reason for this is that it doesn’t scare the audience with visuals but instead shows them what they should be afraid of and allows them to decide when they will be scared and startled. You can anticipate what could happen and the merciless consequences when any noise occurs. Rather than relying on jump scares that provide instant fear, it raises the question of “when” and builds anticipation. A Quiet Place is not only innovative in its approach to horror but also stands as one of the most successful films of the year in terms of its overall design.
Cast & Crew
director: John Krasinski
writers: Bryan Woods, Scott Beck, John Krasinski
starring: Emily Blunt, John Krasinski, Millicent Simmonds, Noah Jupe, Cade Woodward
USA | 2018 | 90 MINUTES |