A Quiet Place brings a new form of suspense to the theater
Courtesy of Paramount Pictures
“A Quiet Place” stars Emily Blunt (pictured) and John Krasinski
A thriller this gripping is probably the last thing you would expect from the man who plays Jim on “The Office,” but it’s a pleasant surprise. John Krasinski directs and stars in A Quiet Place, a movie set several years in the future from the present day. In this post-apocalyptic world, reminiscent of The Walking Dead or 10 Cloverfield Lane, any surviving human must stay as silent as possible, or else they will be killed by alien-like creatures. There is little to no background on how the world ended up in this situation; all we know is that the creatures are blind, and any slight noise will send them sprinting towards you and tear you to shreds before you can react.
The story centers around a family of four who live on a farm in the middle of nowhere. They used to be a family of five, but they lose their youngest son to the monsters early on in the film. In the present day, the mother (Emily Blunt) is pregnant, and viewers watch in agony and suspense as she has to give birth–in complete silence. Meanwhile, the father (John Krasinski) protects his remaining children at all costs.
A Quiet Place is incredibly immersive. The absolute silence of the world in which they live is experienced by the audience as well; you can hear every popcorn crunched and Coca-Cola sipped in the theater. The sound is an especially effective tool to manipulate the audience: it’s used to startle the audience or, at times, to calm the audience with music. Sound is as important of a character in this movie as any.
As much as it is a thriller, it’s also a movie about family. The relationship between the mother and father, played by real-life husband and wife Krasinski and Blunt, expresses the struggles and sacrifice they have to go through to protect each other and their children. The film also showcases the relationship between the father, his son (Noah Jupe) and his daughter (Millicent Simmonds). These parents will stop at no length to save their kids in a situation so bleak, and it leaves the viewer pondering just how far they would go to save someone they love.
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But the ending leaves us with just as many questions as the beginning, as the hour and a half is really just a glimpse into this world with very little context of how it came to be. That may be irritating for people who want to know the full story, but it’s fantastic for those who can appreciate being dropped down into the middle of a story and just become immersed within it. If you’re a fan of a thriller with a heart, it’s definitely worth your money and time.
Born in North Jersey, Karissa moved to Cherry Hill at the age of five. When she’s not writing for Community, she’s hosting birthday parties at BounceU...
